Peer education, defined as ‘the teaching or sharing
of health information, values and behaviours by
members of similar age or status’ [1], has become
a popular strategy for health promotion and prevention
in recent years. Peer education programs can be
used in diverse populations and ages. However,
these programs have been mostly used for work
with young people, based on the assumption that
the young person’s peer group has a strong influence
on the way he or she behaves. Young people learn
from and influence each other, asmuch in risky as in
safe behaviours [2, 3].
It is considered that peer education has some
advantages over other sexual and reproductive
health promotion methods. Among them, there is
the perceived credibility of peer educators for the
target group. The fact of sharing background, interests
and use of language would facilitate the transfer
of information. Another advantage is that young
people tend to talk with their peers about most subjects,
including sensitive issues such as reproductive
health and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
This is because youth peer educators are not seen
as an authority telling them how to behave, but as
another member of their own group. A related
advantage of this method is that it promotes
among the peer educators positive life skills such
as leadership and communication skills and allows
the participation of young people in activities that
affect them [2].
Although peer education has been applied in
different areas, it is possible to highlight HIV prevention
and sexual health by the number of implemented
programs and the enthusiasm with which
the method has been adopted. As a result of its
Peer education, defined as ‘the teaching or sharing
of health information, values and behaviours by
members of similar age or status’ [1], has become
a popular strategy for health promotion and prevention
in recent years. Peer education programs can be
used in diverse populations and ages. However,
these programs have been mostly used for work
with young people, based on the assumption that
the young person’s peer group has a strong influence
on the way he or she behaves. Young people learn
from and influence each other, asmuch in risky as in
safe behaviours [2, 3].
It is considered that peer education has some
advantages over other sexual and reproductive
health promotion methods. Among them, there is
the perceived credibility of peer educators for the
target group. The fact of sharing background, interests
and use of language would facilitate the transfer
of information. Another advantage is that young
people tend to talk with their peers about most subjects,
including sensitive issues such as reproductive
health and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
This is because youth peer educators are not seen
as an authority telling them how to behave, but as
another member of their own group. A related
advantage of this method is that it promotes
among the peer educators positive life skills such
as leadership and communication skills and allows
the participation of young people in activities that
affect them [2].
Although peer education has been applied in
different areas, it is possible to highlight HIV prevention
and sexual health by the number of implemented
programs and the enthusiasm with which
the method has been adopted. As a result of its
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