DEVELOPMENT OF A COMMUNICATION PLAN TO PROMOTE HIV PREVENTION AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS OF PALAWAN STATE UNIVERSITY

The study aimed to develop a communication plan to promote HIV prevention among undergraduate students of Palawan State University. Four groups of respondents participated in this study. There were 380 student-respondents who answered the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices (KAP) survey; 12 students who were interviewed to substantiate and validate the highly quantitative nature of the KAP analysis; and four key informants from health-related organizations and institutions that helped the researcher in designing the prototype communication plan. The KAP analysis found out that though majority of the respondents are knowledgeable about basic facts on HIV, there were still a considerable number of students who are unaware of the difference between HIV and AIDS, and the absence of a cure for the infection. Furthermore, while majority of the respondents exhibited favourable attitude towards HIV prevention in general, most of them have also expressed reluctance in living with PLHIV. Most of them also keep good practices related to HIV prevention. However, more than half of them also claimed that to have engaged in sexual activities without protection. Through the key informant interviews, the researcher and the interviewees were able to establish data for the following major components of the communication plan: Situational Analysis, Audience Identification, Message Formulation, and Identification of Communication Strategies.