Adaptation, reliability and validity of a Brief Multicomponent AIDS Phobia Scale (MAPS) in Colombian adolescents

La fobia al sida consiste en un miedo persistente, anormal e injustificado a contraer el VIH. Uno de los instrumentos disponibles para evaluar la fobia al sida es la Multicomponent AIDS Phobia Scale (MAPS). El objetivo de este estudio fue adaptar y validar la MAPS en adolescentes colombianos. Participaron 859 estudiantes entre 14-19 años respondiendo a la MAPS y otros autoinformes para analizar su validez (conocimientos sobre las ITS, actitud hacia el VIH y ansiedad por la salud). El análisis factorial confirmó la estructura bifactorial (F1: miedo a la infección y F2: miedo a otros), de acuerdo con la versión original. Se obtuvo evidencias de fiabilidad y validez consistentes con la teoría. La aplicación de la MAPS es idónea para evaluar miedo al VIH/sida y estudiar su relación con factores de riesgo sexual (uso de condón, múltiples parejas sexuales) a nivel investigador y comunitario en Colombia. También puede ser útil para evaluar el impacto de campañas sociales para reducir el estigma hacia el VIH y programas de prevención dirigidos a promover una sexualidad saludable en adolescentes mediante la transmisión de conocimientos adecuados y actitudes más tolerantes hacia las personas que viven con VIH.The AIDS phobia is a persistent, abnormal and unjustified fear of contracting HIV. The objective of this study was to adapt and validate MAPS in Colombian adolescents. Participants included 856 students aged 14-19 years who responded to the MAPS and other self-reports to analyze its validity (including knowledge about STIs, attitude towards HIV and health anxiety). Factor analysis confirmed the bifactorial structure (F1: fear of infection and F2: fear of others), according to the original version. Evidence of reliability and validity was obtained consistently with the theory. The application of MAPS is appropriate for assessing fear of HIV/AIDS and to study its relationship with sexual risk factors (e.g. condom use, multiple sexual partners) at research and community levels in Colombia. It also can be useful for assessing the impact of social campaigns to reduce stigma towards HIV and prevention programs aimed at promoting healthy sexuality in adolescents through the transmission of adequate knowledge and more favorable attitudes toward people living with HI

Sexual risk among Colombian adolescents: knowledge, attitudes, normative beliefs, perceived control, intention, and sexual behavior

Background: Colombia has one of the highest rates of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and pregnancies - both of which are influenced by lack of condom use -, among adolescent population in Latin America; however, the mechanisms underlying the inconsistent use of condoms in this population are poorly understood. This descriptive and cross-sectional study’s purpose was to examine sexual behavior and its precursors using the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and considering gender-based differences. Another objective was to study the mediating effect of intention in the relationship between behavior precursors and condom use based on the TPB. Methods: We recruited 1100 adolescents aged between 14 and 19 years old (M = 15.94, SD = 1.30, 54.4% female) from Bogotá and Barranquilla, two of the cities with highest adolescent birth rates among adolescents in Colombia. Sociodemographic variables, knowledge on HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV/AIDS-related attitudes, including attitudes toward the use of condoms, normative beliefs, perceived behavioral control, behavioral intention, and sexual behavior were assessed using self-reports. All analyses were run using SPSS v25. The indirect effect of intention to explain the relationship between precursors and the use of condoms during sexual intercourse was estimated using the PROCESS v3 macro. Results: Descriptive analyses suggest a high risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancies associated to inconsistent condom use, medium-low level of knowledge about sexual health, low normative beliefs regarding peers’ condom use, and a certain perceived difficulty for using condoms. Condoms are used 71% of the times they have sex, but only 22% of the participants use them consistently; girls use condoms more consistently than boys. Sexual risk characteristics differed significantly by gender. Mediation analyses indicated that condom use intention mediates the relationship between behavioral precursors and frequency of condom use, according to the TPB. Conclusions: Findings provide a better understanding of sexual risk and highlight important implications for the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents. There is a need of designing and implementing protocolized sexual health promotion programs in schools with the aim of reducing sexual risk behaviors in Colombian adolescents

Adaptation of an effective school-based sexual health promotion program for youth in Colombia

Rationale: Given the disproportionate impact of HIV and STIs among youth in Latin America, there is a compelling need for effective sex education programs. In particular, Colombia lacks a nationally standardized youth sex education program, despite the fact that 15 to 24-year-olds accounted for the highest incidence and prevalence rates of HIV and STIs in the nation. In an attempt to fill this void, our team adapted COMPAS, a Spanish school-based sexual health promotion intervention, for Colombian adolescents. Objective: This study describes the adaptation process that resulted in a modified version of COMPAS for youth in Colombia. Method: We employed a systematic cultural adaptation process utilizing a mixed methods approach, including intervention adaptation sessions with 100 young adolescents aged 15–19. The process included six steps: 1) consulting international researchers and community stakeholders; 2) capturing the lived experiences of a diverse sample of colombian youth; 3) identifying priorities and areas in need of improvement; 4) integrating the social cognitive theory, information-motivation-behavioral skills model, and an ecological framework for colombian youth; 5) adapting intervention content, activities, and materials; and 6) quantitative evaluation of COMPAS by Colombian youth. Results: The adapted intervention incorporates elements common to effective youth sex education interventions, including: a solid theoretical foundation, sexual communication skills and social support for protection, and guidance on how to utilize available cultural- and linguistic-appropriate services. In addition, the adapted intervention incorporates cultural and linguistic appropriate content, including an emphasis on tackling machismo to promote risk reduction behaviors. Conclusions: The systematic adaptation approach to sexual health intervention for youth can be employed by researchers and community stakeholders in low-resource settings for the promotion of health wellness, linkage to care, and STI and unplanned pregnancy prevention for youth

Procedimiento para validar estímulos sexuales : Confiabilidad y validación de un conjunto de estímulos sexuales en una muestra de jóvenes hombres heterosexuales colombianos

La pletimosgrafía peneana - o la medicion faloméetrica - es una importante forma de evaluar la salud sexual. El objetivo de esta investigación es sugerir un procedimiento para validar estímulos sexuales y validar un set de estímulos sexuales para evaluar comportamientos sexuales “normativos”, en formato de video, en hombres colombianos jóvenes y heterosexuales. Se utilizaron seis videos de 3:15 minutos de duración. Se evaluó un total de 24 hombres. Se evaluó la excitación sexual objetiva, el cambio rápido en la temperatura periférica, el pulso y se empleó el Índice Internacional de Función Eréctil-5, el Self-Assessment Manikin, el Multidimensional Scale to Assess Subjective Sexual Arousal y preguntas socio-psico-sexuales. Los resultados muestran tres videos sexuales cortos, los cuales fueron notoriamente superiores a los otros evaluados y diferían de la opinión subjetiva de los investigadores. Estos tres videos sexuales generaron medidas de consistencia interna; además, se observaron buenos indicadores de validez externa con diferencias estadísticas significativas, según lo esperado. Se demostró que, al menos, en una pequeña muestra de jóvenes colombianos sanos los tres estímulos producen excitación sexual objetiva si se emplean juntos.Penile plethysmography - or phallometric assessment - is a very relevant evaluation for sexual health. The objective of this research is to suggest a guideline to validate sexual stimuli and validate a set of sexual stimuli to assess "normative" sexual behavior in Colombian young heterosexual men. Six videos of 3:15 minute-long were used. A total of 24 men were assessed. Objective sexual arousal, the International Index of Erectile Function-5, Self-Assessment Manikin, Multidimensional Scale to Assess Subjective Sexual Arousal and socio-psycho-sexual questions were used. The results showed three sexual excerpts which were clearly superior to the others - something discordant with the subjective opinion of researchers. These three sexual excerpts generated internally consistent measurements; moreover, good indicators of external validity have been observed with statistically significant differences as expected. Furthermore, with a small healthy Colombian young population, it has been shown that the three stimuli produce objective sexual arousal if used together

Procedimiento para validar estímulos sexuales: confiabilidad y validación de un conjunto de estímulos sexuales en una muestra de jóvenes hombres heterosexuales colombianos

– is a very relevant evaluation for sexual health. The objective of this research is to suggest a guideline to validate sexual stimuli and validate a set of sexual stimuli to assess “normative” sexual behavior in Colombian young heterosexual men. Six videos of 3:15 minute-long were used. A total of 24 men were assessed. Objective sexual arousal, the International Index of Erectile Function-5, Self-Assessment Manikin, Multidimensional Scale to Assess Subjective Sexual Arousal and socio-psycho-sexual questions were used. The results showed three sexual excerpts which were clearly superior to the others – something discordant with the subjective opinion of researchers. These three sexual excerpts generated internally consistent measurements; moreover, good indicators of external validity have been observed with statistically significant differences as expected. Furthermore, with a small healthy Colombian young population, it has been shown that the three stimuli produce objective sexual arousal if used together.La pletimosgrafíıa peneana - o la medicion falométrica - es una importante forma de evaluar la salud sexual. El objetivo de esta investigación es sugerir un procedimiento para validar estímulos sexuales y validar un set de estímulos sexuales para evaluar comportamientos sexuales “normativos”, en formato de video, en hombres colombianos jóvenes y heterosexuales. Se utilizaron seis videos de 3:15 minutos de duración un. Se evaluó o un total de 24 hombres. Se evaluó la excitación un sexual objetiva, el cambio rápido en la temperatura periférica, el pulso y se empleo el Índice Internacional de Función Eréctil-5, el Self-Assessment Manikin, el Multidimensional Scale to Assess Subjective Sexual Arousal y preguntas socio-psico-sexuales. Los resultados muestran tres videos sexuales cortos, los cuales fueron notoriamente superiores a los otros evaluados y diferían de la opinión subjetiva de los investigadores. Estos tres videos sexuales generaron medidas de consistencia interna; además, se observaron buenos indicadores de validez externa con diferencias estadísticas significativas, según lo esperado. Se demostró que, al menos, en una pequeña muestra de jóvenes colombianos sanos los tres estímulos producen excitación sexual objetiva si se emplean junto

Procedure to validate sexual stimuli: reliability and validity of a set of sexual stimuli in a sample of young colombian heterosexual males

Penile plethysmography – or phallometric assessment – is a very relevant evaluation for sexual health. The objective of this research is to suggest a guideline to validate sexual stimuli and validate a set of sexual stimuli to assess “normative” sexual behavior in Colombian young heterosexual men. Six videos of 3:15 minute-long were used. A total of 24 men were assessed. Objective sexual arousal, the International Index of Erectile Function-5, Self-Assessment Manikin, Multidimensional Scale to Assess Subjective Sexual Arousal and socio-psycho-sexual questions were used. The results showed three sexual excerpts which were clearly superior to the others – something discordant with the subjective opinion of researchers. These three sexual excerpts generated internally consistent measurements; moreover, good indicators of external validity have been observed with statistically significant differences as expected. Furthermore, with a small healthy Colombian young population, it has been shown that the three stimuli produce objective sexual arousal if used together

Sexual risk among Colombian adolescents: knowledge, attitudes, normative beliefs, perceived control, intention, and sexual behavior

Abstract Background Colombia has one of the highest rates of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and pregnancies - both of which are influenced by lack of condom use -, among adolescent population in Latin America; however, the mechanisms underlying the inconsistent use of condoms in this population are poorly understood. This descriptive and cross-sectional study’s purpose was to examine sexual behavior and its precursors using the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and considering gender-based differences. Another objective was to study the mediating effect of intention in the relationship between behavior precursors and condom use based on the TPB. Methods We recruited 1100 adolescents aged between 14 and 19 years old (M = 15.94, SD = 1.30, 54.4% female) from Bogotá and Barranquilla, two of the cities with highest adolescent birth rates among adolescents in Colombia. Sociodemographic variables, knowledge on HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV/AIDS-related attitudes, including attitudes toward the use of condoms, normative beliefs, perceived behavioral control, behavioral intention, and sexual behavior were assessed using self-reports. All analyses were run using SPSS v25. The indirect effect of intention to explain the relationship between precursors and the use of condoms during sexual intercourse was estimated using the PROCESS v3 macro. Results Descriptive analyses suggest a high risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancies associated to inconsistent condom use, medium-low level of knowledge about sexual health, low normative beliefs regarding peers’ condom use, and a certain perceived difficulty for using condoms. Condoms are used 71% of the times they have sex, but only 22% of the participants use them consistently; girls use condoms more consistently than boys. Sexual risk characteristics differed significantly by gender. Mediation analyses indicated that condom use intention mediates the relationship between behavioral precursors and frequency of condom use, according to the TPB. Conclusions Findings provide a better understanding of sexual risk and highlight important implications for the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents. There is a need of designing and implementing protocolized sexual health promotion programs in schools with the aim of reducing sexual risk behaviors in Colombian adolescents

Sexual risk in Colombian adolescents

Databases used in the analysis of sexual risks in adolescents in Colombia