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Despite substantial declines in the number of new HIV infections globally, the HIV/AIDS epidemic among females ages 15-24 in select countries remains uncontrolled, with 67 percent of new infections in young people in sub-Saharan Africa occurring in adolescent girls and young women, or an estimated 280,000 new infections annually. HIV prevalence rates among female youth ages 15-24 are consistently higher than among their male peers, with…
Despite a recent fall in new infections, South Africa still has the largest HIV epidemic in the world and has not achieved the 50% reduction envisaged in its national strategic plan for 2012-16. Adolescent girls and young women are disproportionately affected by HIV, with prevalence among 20-24 year olds three times higher in women (16%) than in men (5%), and females aged 15-24 years accounting for 37% of new infections. Amid the competing…
The HIV/AIDS community is paying increasing attention to the estimated 1.8 million (uncertainty bounds 1.3 million to 2.4 million) people younger than 15 years living with HIV globally, as was evident by the focus on adolescents at the XXII International AIDS Conference in July, 2018. This attention is welcome and it is crucial to curtailing the HIV epidemic. But while age disaggregation can help elucidate the spread and impacts of the HIV…
Gendered power dynamics within couple relationships can constrain women from achieving positive sexual and reproductive health outcomes. But little is known about relationship power among adolescents, and tools to measure it are rarely validated among adolescents. We tested the Sexual Relationship Power Scale (SRPS) among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) and examined associations with select health outcomes. A 16-item adaptation of the…
Ending the AIDS epidemic among children, adolescents and young women requires ambitious targets and a Super-Fast-Track approach. Building on the successes of the Global Plan towards the elimination of new HIV infections among children by 2015 and keeping their mothers alive, UNAIDS, the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and partners launched Start Free Stay Free AIDS Free in 2016 to provide a framework for the…
In 2016, an estimated 1.5 million adolescent girls and young women were living with HIV infection in Eastern and Southern Africa, where HIV prevalence among adolescent girls and young women is more than twice that of their male peers. In this report, analysis of data from Population-based HIV Impact Assessment surveys conducted during 2015–2017 in seven countries in Eastern and Southern Africa found that the prevalence of HIV infection among…
Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) plays a central role in the preparation of young people for a safe, productive, fulfilling life in a world where HIV and AIDS, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), unintended pregnancies, gender-based violence (GBV) and gender inequality still pose serious risks to their well-being. However, despite clear and compelling evidence for the benefits of high-quality, curriculum-based CSE, few children and…
To end the growing HIV epidemic among young women, human rights violations must be addressed. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have the potential to help, but only if political barriers are overcome and a rights-based approach is integrated. We have long known that biomedical interventions alone will not curb the HIV epidemic among young women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa. The history of the global response to HIV is ripe with…
Adolescents are one sixth of the world's population and account for 6% of the world's global burden of disease and injury. Over 3,000 adolescents die every day from largely preventable causes. In 2015, the top causes of adolescent girls' included HIV/AIDS and maternal conditions. This guidance assists governments to support country implementation to improve the health of their adolescents through evidence, case studies, a summary document, a…
This report draws on analyses of national survey data and literature review results to provide an overview of the evidence on key aspects of sexual and reproductive health among very young adolescents aged 10–14 living in developing regions. Analyses showed that while most young adolescents report never having experienced sexual intercourse, some had begun to explore non-coital sexual activities. Many young adolescents who had experienced sexual…
An unmet need for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and HIV services is substantial in developing countries, particularly among older adolescent girls and young women. This editorial describes the key lessons from the Link Up project, aimed to improve the SRHR of young people most affected by HIV in five countries of Africa (Burundi, Ethiopia and Uganda) and Asia (Bangladesh and Myanmar).
This report brings attention to achieving gender equality in the context of women, girls, and the HIV response. This six-month consultation in 2016 with adolescent women and young girls found that #WhatWomenWant is: collaboration and joint action by all to invest in women's HIV and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), to be leaders and articulate the priorities of women and girls in all their diversity, and to speak to the new…
The Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE) reports on the implementation of the new PEPFAR DREAMS Partnership, which aims to reduce the number of adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in sub-Saharan Africa disproportionately affected by HIV. This report contains program insights from South Africa and Kenya, specifically around HIV prevention, civil society engagement, and addressing specific needs of AGYW.
The purpose of this report is to guide policymakers, planners, implementers of HIV prevention programs to understand the risk of HIV for adolescent girls and young women, learn how to create and deliver effective responses, and address policy and structural changes in order to create ways to break unequal gender norms and make positive changes towards reducing the burden of HIV for adolescent girls and women.
In KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa the prevalence of HIV is disproportionately high for young women (ages 15-24). A 15-session classroom based program was developed by the Department of Education to teach adolescent boys and girls (ages 14-17) about HIV and pregnancy prevention using gender-transformative curriculum. This evaluation looks at changes in condom use, partner communication, gender beliefs, and efficacy to refuse unsafe sex pre and post…
This guidebook aims to inform health policy makers and program planners on how to establish PrEP as an effective prevention method for adolescent girls and young women. This includes addressing the delivery platforms, marketing, regulations, demand, and use of PreP for this population.
The Meri Life, Meri Choice project was developed to reduce HIV vulnerabilities of rural adolescent girls and young women in India. This was done through providing socially disadvantaged, out-of-school girls with knowledge around sexual and reproductive health, increasing their utilization of sexual health services, creating a supportive environment to reduce vulnerabilities. The Population Council evaluated the acceptability, feasibility, and…
This formative research report aimed to generate ideas for programs and services to support adolescent girls living with HIV in Zambia in transition to adulthood. The findings and recommendations are reported by ecological levels: individual, interpersonal, and organizational.
This extensive toolkit developed by EngenderHealth after conducting a needs assessment of program staff working in local and district levels in South Africa. The assessment revealed that levels of training varied among staff members and training opportunities were rare. There were large gaps in the knowledge around gender and youth in relation to HIV, which is why this training module was developed. There are 8 modules which provide training…
In Southern Africa, adolescent girls and young women (ages 15-24) make up a disproportionate number of new HIV infections compared to their male peers. In order to become AIDS-free, it is critical to prevent new infections in this key population. This study explores biological and social vulnerabilities young women face in relation to HIV, including engagement in transactional sex, limited education, and amplified effects of transmission. This…