The HIV/AIDS Adolescent Risk Reduction Project (HAARP) is a Phase II SBIR research project that studies adolescent risk reduction. HAARP focuses on motivation and safer sex skills based on the Theories of Social Learning Reasoned Action. Two hundred four (204) college subjects were studied in Phase I using a 72 item RAI compiled and validated to measure 7 constructs: self-esteem, self-efficacy, knowledge, behavioral, intent and vulnerability. The research design included 1 control group and 3 intervention groups. The Phase II study will include 19-20 y.o. entering college students at Western Washington University, 51-16 y.o. and 13-14 yo in the Seattle School System. Three sets of videos will be developed and tested in Phase II, each including a vulnerability trigger tape and a skills tape, using a similar research design. Effecting change in adolescent sexual risk taking is complex; the results from Phase I indicate that HAARP is moving in the right direction, producing products that are focused on the important constructs, and using an instrument that is able to measure the constructs of import. It is critical that efforts be continued to study effective adolescent interventions. Efforts are needed to curb the dramatic rise in adolescent AIDS.
