Hiv / Sti Prevention on the College Campus: Coping with Controversy

To increase understanding of college-based HIV-STI prevention programs, this exploratory qualitative study investigates four areas: (1) the types of controversies that college sexual health programming can encounter; (2) how these controversies are managed; (3) strategies used by college sexual health providers to prevent and contain controversy; (4) the effect the higher education organization has on the manifestation of controversy, its prevention and management. Findings suggest that college sexual health programs commonly endure morally loaded challenges, student indifference, and questions from administration regarding the expenditure of scarce resources in a controversial area that commands little student attention. College employees and officials involved in sexual health programming engage in a variety of strategies to prevent and contain conflict to keep programs intact. This book should provide value to sexual health educators, as well as professionals who are interested in ways that controversial issues may be managed in organizations.