Peer educators, who are especially trained to work with youth outside of the school setting, bring information to hard-to-reach groups in a manner that is not threatening since it comes from those in similar situations — other young people. While most youth involvement programs have embraced the value of peer educators programs, some researchers have raised questions about the cost effectiveness of such programs, their sustainability due to high turnover, and the impact that peers actually make on their counterparts.
YouthNet shares information on best practices in peer education, studies on the effectiveness of programs, and tips and tools developed by groups with experience using peer education approaches to prevent HIV and promote better reproductive health among young people. Also, YouthNet is conducting a major research project on peer education to address unanswered questions, summarized in research.
Below are some studies highlighting the impact of peer educators and contacts for learning more about this topic.
Evaluating Programs for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care in Developing Countries; A Handbook for Program Managers and Decision Makers (Family Health International, 2001). See Chapter 3 of this 276-page guide, on evaluating behavior change communication interventions.
Peer Promotion Programs and Social Networks in Ghana: Methods for Monitoring and Evaluating AIDS Prevention and Reproductive Health Programs among Adolescents and Young Adults (PDF 23K, Pathfinder International). This study used qualitative methods, including network analysis, to uncover patterns of social interaction, understand social behavior, and plan peer promotion efforts.
Peer Counseling to Develop Tomorrow's Leaders (Kenyatta University, 1999). This multi-faceted peer education project, undertaken on the campus of Kenyatta University in Nairobi, Kenya, identified "freshmen orientation week," as a critical time for intervention, with peer educators holding sessions with vulnerable first year students on how to make responsible decisions and cope with campus life.
Peer Education with Gang Members: Protecting Life and Health (Homies Unidos, 1999). Homies Unidos, an organization created in 1996 in El Salvador by rival gang members who came together to find a better and safer life without violence, uses gang members familiar with the lifestyle, slang, and codes of conduct of gangs, to reach their own peers, in part to promote healthier behaviors and prevent STIs.
Final Report for the AIDSCAP Program in Cameroon, October 1992 to September 1996: Lessons Learned (Family Health International, 1997) Study trained more than 2,000 peer educators and leaders who in turn educated more than 620,000 youth, women and men. Before the intervention, 53 percent of male university students reported more than one partner in the previous three months. Afterward, the percentage fell to 36 percent. The portion of female students who reported condom use during their last sexual act with a high-risk partner increased from 63 percent to 77 percent, but declined from 75 percent to 70 percent among men.
The Tanzania AIDS Project: Building Capacity, Saving Lives -- The AIDSCAP Response, 1993-1997 (Family Health International, 1998). Chapter Two of this report, on behavior change communication, describes a program focused on messages of abstinence, fidelity, and condom use.
Using Peer Promoters in Reproductive Health Programs for Young Adults (Pathfinder International, 1997). This summary presents the advantages of peer education approaches, suggests criteria for selecting promoters, and discusses evidence of program efficacy. Also available in Español and Français.
Promoting HIV/AIDS Prevention on Nigerian Campuses: Students Take the Lead (Family Health International, 1996). A Nigerian NGO devoted to preventing HIV/AIDS among young people discovers that the best way to organize on university campuses is to let students help plan and lead the campaign themselves.
Programs for Adolescents: The "Ashe" Experience in Jamaica (Family Health International, 2000). Ashe is a performing arts company whose mission is peer education and personal development. The troupe addresses reproductive health issues through performances, audience discussions and workshops.
