The sexual behavior of American adolescents has become a national concern. One out of every ten females between the ages of 15 and 19 has a pregnancy each year, and, by age 21, approximately one out of every five young people has required treatment for a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Although education is but one among many interventions that should be employed to reduce teenage pregnancy and STD infection, new technologies, such as interactive multimedia, have rarely been investigated as delivery media for sexuality instruction. To exploit the potential of multimedia for effecting behavioral change among teenagers, American Research Corporation of Virginia proposes the ongoing development of """"""""Promotion of Responsible Sexuality with Multimedia"""""""" (PRISM), a fourth generation sexuality education program presented by interactive multimedia and targeted for adolescents in grades 9 and 10. The Phase I program yielded a proof-of-concept presentation consisting of text and graphics that focused on pregnancy prevention. Phase II specific aims include development of additional instructional activities for pregnancy and STD prevention, integration of the instructional activities with full motion video and audio, and evaluation of the intervention with regard to changes in knowledge, attitudes, and behavior.
With the phenomenal growth of home computer purchases, potential markets of the proposed software include families with adolescents as well as schools. In a school environment, the program could be integrated with existing school sexuality education programs or implemented as a stand-alone curriculum. With the increased popularity of juvenile electronic bulletin board services, the program could be advertised and distributed by state and private educational networks.
