An AIDS education and prevention program for hospitalized adolescents.

This paper describes the development of a human immunodeficiency virus Prevention Program for a University-based adolescent psychiatric unit. The intervention spans 8 days with components in school, activity therapies, and a specific group that teaches sexual education. Important aspects that have contributed to the success of this intervention include its integration into a general sex education program, the utilization of the psychiatric milieu for promotion of the intervention, the participation of a person with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) in the educational process, "high tech" components, such as attractive well-designed videos, and assessment and evaluation. The importance of AIDS education for psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents will be further elaborated.