Internet-Based STD/HIV Education for College Students

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application proposes the development of an Internet-based college STD/HIV prevention education program called myStudentbody.com (STDs/HIV). STDs in the U.S. are of epidemic proportion. An estimated 33 percent of college-age students contract an STD at some point in their life. STDs can produce serious long-term consequences for both women and men, including damage to the heart, pelvic inflammatory disease, cervical cancer, infertility, and death. Furthermore, both ulcerative and inflammatory STDs are associated with increased susceptibility to HIV infection. There is a serious need for easily accessible and effective STD/HIV prevention education for college students. Using interactive, Web-based technology, this secondary prevention program will be supported by a number of unique features that will make it a true innovation in the area of STD and HIV prevention with college students. Phase I involved proof of concept research to demonstrate product feasibility. Phase II will involve production and usability testing of a fully operational myStudentbody.com (STDs/HIV) website, a field test to assess program efficacy, and satisfaction testing. If such a program demonstrates effectiveness over traditional education approaches for increasing practice of preventive behaviors, college administrators and health educators would likely view it as a desirable and cost-effective way to offer health information to college students. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: The proposed Internet-based program will provide a targeted intervention to reduce risk behaviors associated with STDs and HIV. Despite the high prevalence of STDs among college students, few programs offer a comprehensive, tailored approach to risk reduction. If effective, MyStudentbody.com (STDS/HIV) will be of enormous value in preventing STDs and associated health consequences. This program could be offered to a variety of institutions of higher education via publisher and/or merchandise partnerships. The commercial potential of such a program would be extraordinary, as there are over 14 million college students enrolled annually and students are among the most frequent users of the Internet.