Personal Narrative as a Medium for STD/HIV Intervention: A Preliminary Study1

Abstract

Few brief interventions have been successful at producing changes in STD and HIV risk behavior. This preliminary study evaluated the effectiveness of 2 brief interventions designed to promote safer sex. Participants were 93 students enrolled in a health education course at a large midwestern university who watched a 40‐min slide presentation including behavioral‐skills training, a 40‐min personal narrative performance followed by behavioral‐skills training, or no presentation. Two weeks later, students completed measures of safer‐sex attitudes, motivation, behavioral intentions, behavioral skills, self‐efficacy, and decisional balance. Students in the personal narrative group scored higher on the behavioral‐skills measure than did students in the slide group or the control group. Personal narrative may be an effective medium for brief safer‐sex interventions.