AFRICAN YOUTH ALLIANCE

One of the greatest challenges is preventing HIV infection in youth. Of all age groups, young people under 25 are the most likely to contract HIV; every minute six young people are newly infected. In 2000, UNFPA helped raise $57 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to protect youth against HIV/AIDS in four hard-hit African countries: Botswana, Ghana, the United Republic of Tanzania and Uganda.

The five-year project is being carried out by the African Youth Alliance, a new partnership between UNFPA and the nongovernmental organizations PATH (Program for Appropriate Technology in Health) and Pathfinder International. While efforts vary in each country according to local conditions, all include education programmes in both urban and rural areas, peer counselling for young people in and out of school, accessible reproductive health services (provided in youth centres, for example) and job training for disadvantaged youth.

 

QUESTIONS FREQUENTLY ASKED BY INDONESIAN YOUTH:

  • Does petting destroy virginity?

  • Does kissing cause pregnancy?

  • Does sexual intercourse result in pregnancy?

  • Does sexual intercourse destroy virginity?

  • If I jump after making love, will it flush out the semen?

  • How can I say "no" to my boyfriend's demands for sex?

  • Does using condoms prevent pregnancy?

Young people cannot make informed decisions without reliable information. UNFPA supports culturally sensitive reproductive health information and education programmes for young people in all regions.

 

Schoolchildren in Botswana play in front of a mural warning about the deadly consequences of HIV/AIDS. Photo: Mark Edwards/Still Pictures

BOTSWANA BATTLES HIV/AIDS

Botswana has the highest rate of HIV/AIDS in the world. About one in every three adults is infected. Life expectancy has dropped from 60 years in 1990 to 44 years in 2000, and is projected to fall to 36 years by 2005. The group most at risk is young people, especially girls. UNFPA is working with the Government of Botswana and other partners to protect the country's youth and prevent further infections. The effort is part of a five-year, four-country project that received $57 million in funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in April 2000. The initiative focuses on promoting abstinence or delay in sexual activity, introducing and improving youth-friendly services, reducing unwanted pregnancies, promoting gender equality and female empowerment, and building self-esteem and life skills.

EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY

Information, especially for young people, is crucial to prevent HIV/AIDS. Surveys show that millions of youth, especially girls, in developing countries do not know how to protect themselves from HIV infection. UNFPA supports many efforts to increase HIV/AIDS awareness, knowledge and action. We help provide information – both in and out of school – that addresses underlying attitudes, values and skills to promote safe, responsible behaviour.

Over the years, we have learned much about how to reach people to improve reproductive health. Our information and education materials are tailored to specific audiences and more responsive to their needs. They focus less on dry knowledge and facts and more on dynamic information that will change behaviour. Today, most school-based educational programmes include elements such as gender issues, violence and communication, relationship skills and self-esteem, sexuality education and life skills.