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Young People and HIV

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An Overview

• Hopeful Signs

Young people are the key to slowing down the spread of HIV.

· Studies across a range of cultures have shown that education about reproductive health and AIDS does not lead to premature sexual activity; on the contrary,it can lead to delays in the age of first intercourse.

· In Cote d'Ivoire, in 199, only 5% of sexually active boys and girls aged 15-19 used condoms. By 1998, one third of sexually active teenagers reported always using condoms.

· In Masaka (Uganda), HIV- prevalence rates among 13-19 year-old girls fell significantly between 1989 and 1997 from 4.5% to 1.5%, reflecting a trend towards a decrease in sexual activity among girls and increased condom use.

· In most Western European countries, some 60% of young people were using condoms the first time they had sex - up from less than 20% a decade ago.

Adolescence is the period in which individuals face the tasks of establishing a satisfying self-identity and interpersonal bonds beyond the family, including partnering; learning to handle growing sexual maturity in a responsible manner; and developing the capacity for economic viability, including education, skills, attitudes and habits.

In order to do this successfully, young people need information, skills, resources, and a safe and supportive environment that will enable them to act responsibly and contribute to their families and communities.

However, young people all over the world are being denied the very rights that would enable them to survive, develop fully and participate actively.

Young people need to understand the concept of rights, know what rights they are entitled to and be empowered to take action on behalf of their own rights and those of others.

This is even more critical for our young people living in a world with AIDS. Many young people are at great risk of infection. Young people everywhere need to know how to protect themselves from this disease that is devastating their countries, communities, and families. They have a right to this information.

HIV/AIDS: The facts