This publication provides a descriptive analysis of how adolescent girls and young women construct notions of risk and safety within the context of HIV/AIDS, and what strategies they develop to protect themselves. The study is based on data from interviews held with 821 young women aged from 15-24 from four communities of urban Lusaka, and supplemented by qualitative data from focus group discussions and in-depth interviews. Information from this study can inform the development of innovative programming for vulnerable girls and young women in Lusaka.