Study calls for HIV prevention education for juvenile offenders

Troubled teenagers who are either incarcerated in juvenile hall or enrolled in teen boot camp may be at a higher risk for certain dangers that could affect their lives.

Juvenile offenders should be receiving more education about ways to protect themselves against HIV, as a new study from the Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center (BHCRC) reports that more interventions are needed to encourage troubled teens to use condoms and stop engaging in promiscuous sexual situations all together.

The study found that because juvenile offenders are at an increased risk for contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) such as HIV, it's important that there are programs available to these individuals to educate them about the power of safe sex.

The researchers claim that these teenagers are more at-risk because they tend to start having intercourse at an earlier age, have less of a chance of using condoms and frequently have the opportunity for the uses of drugs and alcohol. These young offenders also appear to have more opportunities to engage in such behavior.