West Virginia Bureau for Public Health (BPH)

West Virginia HIV/AIDS 
& STD Program

HIV/AIDS CONTENT NOTICE

The HIV/AIDS and STD Program’s Peer Education Project is an informal educational method used as a preventive strategy to limit the spread of HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases. It is a method, which enables one peer to educate his or her fellow peers, providing important prevention messages and education. It enables peers to build and develop skills for public speaking, teamwork, leadership and the ability to make positive changes in behaviors and attitudes.

The program is designed to heighten awareness and deepen understanding about HIV/AIDS and STD’s. It allows students to build self-esteem, cope with peer pressure and enable healthy relationships and overall good healthy decision-making. Peer educators are role models who are actively involved in the betterment of the community, their classmates, and themselves. Peer Education provides opportunities for student leadership and creativity.

The word “peer” is commonly used to describe someone who is faced with similar situations or someone who is a part of the same group (e.g., a social group). We know that peers listen more to each other; therefore, it is logical to educate them in order to make the content of what they hear from each accurate and effective.

The program’s goal is to train a select group of students within a school on HIV/AIDS and STDs with the responsibility of educating their peers. These students assume responsibilities of group leaders, role models, and facilitators in school and community-based workshops. The main overall goal is to prevent disease and reduce risky sexual behavior of young adults.

A conference to introduce peer education to West Virginia schools was held in December of 2004 in Morgantown by the HIV/AIDS and STD Program. Twelve schools from the northern part of the state attended this conference. A similar conference was held in January of 2005 at the Tamarack in Beckley. Nine schools from the southern part of the state attended this conference.

The Bureau for Public Health’s HIV/AIDS and STD program offers training for high school students in West Virginia. The program involves working with schools across the state with special emphasis placed on targeting counties with a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS and STDs. The peer education program is created for the students and managed by the students.

Extensive training is given to peer educators including HIV/AIDS and STD training, skill building, public speaking skills and training in teaching back to their peers. Games and other non-traditional learning activities are used as techniques to reinforce information and put students at ease.

How can I get involved?

If you want to schedule a peer education program or need more information about our program please contact Chuck Hall with the Bureau for Public Health’s HIV/AIDS and STD Program at (304) 558-2195 or 800-642-8244 or via email at chuckhall@wvdhhr.org.