AMIGO A AMIGO (FRIEND TO FRIEND)
Teen Peer Outreach Program

Interested teens are trained to share reproductive health, family planning, and community resource information with friends, family members and others through the Amigo a Amigo (Friend to Friend) teen peer outreach program.

Teenagers are recruited from schools, youth service agencies, and target neighborhoods, and complete 40 hours of training on pregnancy and disease prevention, healthy relationships, peer outreach, and community resources.

Following training, peer educators share information, prevention materials, and referrals with 20-30 peers through informal social interactions. Peer educators document peer contacts, and re-contact peers 2-3 months later to evaluate program impacts. Peer educators receive stipends for completion of peer outreach.

Program evaluation has shown that over 80% of peers contacted by the peer educators were more knowledgeable about the topics discussed, 70% were referred to a clinic or other agency for assistance, 60% were more likely to limit sexual activity or use contraception, and nearly 30% actually obtained needed services.

Comments from peer educators include:

"This program made me more knowledgeable and gave me the confidence to speak up about what I believe."

"Now my friends think hard about sex and the consequences before rushing into anything."

"I'm known in my circle of friends as 'Dr. Sex' which is cool and makes me respected."