AIDS seminars for senior grades in secondary schools.

AIDS seminars lasting 70 minutes, consisting of an oral presentation, a videotape and time for discussion, were offered to students in grades 11, 12 and 13 in secondary schools in the Hamilton Board of Education. Specially chosen teacher and public health nurse facilitators were assigned to sessions. 19 secondary school principals and 1,898 students in 10 schools completed questionnaires about the usefulness of the seminars. Students and principals viewed the seminars. Students and principals viewed the seminar as highly valuable for obtaining new information in sessions with either public health nurse or teacher facilitators. The oral presentation was rated most valuable but students rated the videotape and the discussion components highly as well. The students strongly agreed that the seminar assisted in understanding how STDs could be prevented, and made them aware of the community groups or agencies they could go to for help. A substantially greater number of females than males indicated they wished to attend other seminars.