Sexual Education- Reassessing HIV prevention policies on an international level: Review

Objective: To reassess the social and behavioural interventions alongside the medical ones in sexual education, the prevention of HIV/AIDS in countries with low, middle and high socioeconomic status.

Design: Systematic review.

Data sources: 25 electronic references without geographical limitations to December 2013 gathered from International organizations including US CDC and ECDC as well as high impact journals.

Review methods: A reviewer applied inclusion criteria and extracted data from the latest reports of ECDC, CDC, and UNAIDS. The data came from countries with low and middle socioeconomic status. Statistical rates for condom use, sterile syringes, and testing and counseling were employed. Randomized and quasirandomised controlled trials of abstinence only and plus programmes, medical male circumcision, pre-exposure prophylaxis, antiretroviral treatment, and sexually transmitted infections were included.

Results: The search identified 13 trials pertaining to abstinence programmes, approximately 2 regarding medical male circumcision and 1 regarding sexually transmitted infections. All outcomes were self reported. It was found that most of the intervention programmes are not deployed together. This approach bears fruits in sexual education, in HIV prevention. Yet, if interventions were used in compilation then results would have been even better.

Conclusion: Future sexual education intervention programmes must adopt the eclectic approach. HIV prevention programmes must combine all of the social and behavioural as well as medical interventions and not focus on solely one separated out intervention.