Marginalized youth (including street children, refugees and migrants) may be at particular risk because of stigma, unprotected sex (in exchange for food, protection or money) and drugs.

Many young people still don’t know enough about the HIV/AIDS epidemic, or how to protect themselves.

Our experience shows that reaching out to young people is not as simple as ABC (Abstain, Be faithful and use a Condom).

Understanding young people’s particular vulnerability to HIV/AIDS, how and why they use condoms and how safer sex messages can address the complicated realities of young people’s lives: these are among our most complex challenges.

What are we doing?

The urgency of the AIDS epidemic demands dynamic, new approaches that are inclusive, rights-based and involve young people.

IPPF is well placed to make a difference here: we have a long history of working with young people and our success is a testament to the power of youth friendly services and peer education.

Peer education works especially well at addressing young people’s needs, and many of our educators who work with young HIV positive people are themselves HIV positive. This method of outreach can be even more effective when educating people in specific risk-groups, such as single mothers or injecting drug users. Peer educators often reach people through the services they access - injecting drug users, for example, are offered education through needle-exchange schemes.

The bottom line is that, for outreach, or any youth intervention for that matter, to work effectively, young people must be involved.

Youth Working Group report on HIV/AIDS

A Rights-based Approach - CD-ROM
Our CD-ROM guide to implementing a rights-based approach in Youth programmes.

Youth group offers consultations for sex-workers
Rwanda's genocide orphaned and widowed thousands of young women and girls, many of whom turned to commercial sex work and now face the risks of HIV infection...