prevention of Hiv Amongst Adolescents And young people - Unicef UK

prevention of HIV Amongst
adolescents and young people
© UNICEF/NYHQ2006-0411/Pirozzi
Prevention is the key to controlling
HIV and AIDS and young people
hold the key to prevention. HIV is
increasingly becoming a disease
of the young, with children,
adolescents and young people
accounting for 40 per cent of
all new infections. In 2008 an
estimated 920,000 young people
15–24 years of age acquired HIV.
In 1989 the world adopted the
UN Convention on the Rights
of the Child, which states that
governments must do all they
can to ensure that children
survive and grow up healthy.
Yet young people, particularly
young women, remain alarmingly
uninformed on even the most
basic facts about HIV and
prevention. On average, in
developing countries about 30
per cent of males and 19 per
cent of females aged 15–24 years
Information Sheet
have correct and comprehensive
knowledge about HIV and
how to avoid transmission.
Adolescents and young people
cannot protect themselves if they
do not know the facts about HIV
transmission and how to prevent
it. This knowledge is in the best
interests of children and the
communities in which they live.
In most cultures, discussions with
adolescents about sex can be
controversial and uncomfortable.
Many adolescents and young
people know very little about
their bodies, their sexual and
reproductive health or HIV and
AIDS. Adolescents of both
sexes are often deprived of the
information, skills, services and
support that would help them
protect themselves. This obviously
increases the risk of HIV infection.
Cultural and gender norms
In some societies boys are brought
up to try to have as many sexual
partners as possible, placing
them at high risk of infection
and of infecting their partners.
In sub-Saharan Africa, adolescent
girls and young women are
particularly affected, with far
more young women becoming
infected than young men. Young
women in this region are three
times more likely to have HIV
than young men of the same age.
For many impoverished girls and
young women, exchanging sex
5Students listen to a presentation
on life skills at a school in Eritrea.
UNICEF supports the classes with the
aim of encouraging the development
of self esteem, problem-solving skills,
awareness of HIV and how to prevent
transmission of the virus.
© UNICEF/NYHQ2008-1630/Pirozzi
Last updated: February 2010
? UNICEF UK, 30a Great Sutton Street, London, EC1V 0DU
( 0844 801 2414 8 www.unicef.org.uk/unite Registered Charity No. 1072612

for money, food or other benefits
may be the only way to make a
living or support their families.
Poverty and cultural norms in
many regions, notably South Asia
and sub-Saharan Africa, mean
that a significant percentage of
girls are married before the age
of 18. However, marriage itself
provides no protection from
HIV. Many married women are
subject to domestic violence or
sexual abuse, even within their
own families. Even if they remain
faithful, they have little or no
power or ability to negotiate the
conditions of sexual intercourse,
including condom usage.
Avoiding risk
There is clear evidence of the
effectiveness of comprehensive
strategies for keeping adolescents
and young people free of infection
and helping them to avoid risk.
Young people need practical
help in the form of youth-friendly
health services where they can
get condoms, obtain treatment
for sexually transmitted infections
and seek informed advice. For the
most marginalised young people,
such as those who inject drugs,
even more specialised prevention
services, such as needleexchange
programmes, are also
essential in preventing infection.
The prevention of HIV infection
works best when adolescents
and young people can control
their health and their future, and
are sufficiently empowered to be
able to change their behaviours.
Education
There is compelling evidence that
a basic education of good quality,
offering sound knowledge about
sexuality and HIV and including
life-skills training, can make a
significant contribution to the
prevention of HIV and AIDS.
HIV and AIDS threaten the
right to an education
HIV and AIDS threaten both
the supply of and demand for
education. Large numbers of
teachers have died of AIDSrelated
causes, stripping schools
of their most vital resource
and robbing children of quality
education. The chronic illness
and death of a parent drains
household resources available
for education, and children
are likely to drop out of school
to care for sick adults or to
go to work to meet the new
shortfall in the family income.
Girls’ education
An effective strategy for
preventing HIV and AIDS among
children and young people
is to ensure that all children
receive formal education in safe
and gender-sensitive school
environments. However, in 2006
some 75 million children – 55
per cent of them girls – were
not in primary education. With
women comprising half of all
people with HIV worldwide
and 60 per cent of infections
in sub-Saharan Africa, it is vital
that we equip young women
and girls with the knowledge,
skills and confidence to assert
themselves in relationships.
UNICEF strongly advocates for
the abolition of school fees – an
action that will particularly benefit
poor children, including those
affected by HIV and AIDS. UNICEF
supports other measures such as
school feeding programmes and
flexible learning that encourage
children and young people to
continue with their education
whatever the circumstances.
Education opportunities
Education represents the best
opportunity not only for delivering
crucial information on HIV and
AIDS, but also for countering the
ignorance and fear that perpetuate
stigma and discrimination.
UNAIDS studies show that when
young people are provided with
accurate information on sex and
HIV and AIDS, they are more
likely to delay sexual activity and
more likely to use condoms when
they finally have sex. Schools
are the hub for such prevention
lessons but because so many
young people in the developing
world cannot or do not go to
school, UNICEF also supports
non-formal education opportunities
and the dissemination of lifesaving
information through
other channels including the
media and social clubs.
Life skills
It is insufficient just to provide
young people with information
though. They also need to
develop “life skills” in order to
put what they know into practice.
Moreover, they need “youth
friendly” health services that are
sensitive to gender issues and
provide voluntary and confidential
HIV testing and counselling, along
with condoms (plus guidance on
correct use) and treatment for other
sexually transmitted infections.
A virtuous continuum
The struggle to control the HIV
and AIDS pandemic and lessen
its impact on children demands
an attack on three fronts:
preventing infection, treating the
sick, and caring for the vulnerable.
The efficacy of such a
comprehensive approach in
the battle against HIV and AIDS
has been highlighted by recent
evidence of the impact that
treatment with anti-retroviral drugs
is having on HIV-prevention efforts.
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