To reach the most vulnerable —

Youth and Adolescents

Young people age 15 to 24 , the largest youth generation in history making up more than half of the worlds population also account for nearly half of all new infections worldwide. Although basic knowledge of HIV/AIDS has increased among young people is still disturbingly low especially among young women. The rate of HIV infection among young people worldwide is growing rapidly; 67% of newly infected individuals in the developing countries are young people aged between 15 and 24 years. The escalating risk is especially evident among young women and girls (15-24 years), who make up 64% of the young people in developing countries living with HIV/AIDS.

Youth and adolescents aged 15 to 24, account for one third of the total population which is approximately 33 million people in Bangladesh. Although Bangladesh is a conservative society, behavioural surveillance data point to the reality that young people, irrespective of their marital status, engage in unprotected sexual encounters (consensual and non-consensual) that are high risk for exposure to the disease. They are unaware of the risks and dangers of unsafe sexual activity and are ill-informed and unprepared to protect themselves.

Against this background, youth and adolescents were identified as one of the high-risk vulnerable groups that urgently need information, HIV prevention skills and services in order to protect themselves against HIV infection.

In Bangladesh, existing reproductive health services are generally inaccessible to young people and do not offer an environment of youth-friendliness and confidentiality. Access to condom is very limited -- their use is more prevalent in married households. In addition, social stigmatization and discrimination in the society form a barrier to young people’s access to accurate information and services.

To date, the government of Bangladesh is yet to develop policy that specifically addresses the issue of adolescents’ needs and rights. Religious, cultural and social norms are maintained by the “gatekeepers” – policy makers, religious and community leaders, teachers and parents – who wield strong influence on societal behaviour and are resistant to the issue of sex education for youth and adolescents.

Goal

“To prevent HIV infections in young people, ages 10-24, and thereby help avert a generalized HIV epidemic in Bangladesh”.

Project goal will link with that of the National AIDS/STD Program (NASP) to “control the spread of HIV infection within vulnerable populations and to limit its spread to the general population, without stigmatizing the vulnerable populations”.

Objectives

• To provide HIV prevention information, skills and services to young people and

• To collect data necessary for informing the development of national policy and programs for the prevention of HIV/AIDS among young people aged 10 to 24.

Strategies for implementation

• Behavioural change communications (BCC) activities to promote awareness and sensitization about HIV and safe sexual behaviour among young people

• Improvement of health services to render them more youth friendly for counseling and treatment of STIs

• Life skills education, outreach activities and peer education to promote safer sexual behaviour and encourage more openness to seeking counseling and treatment
  
  
• Advocacy with gatekeepers to create an enabling environment for youth to adopt safe behaviour
  
• Generate evidence base data/information to give a strategic direction for interventions

These will also link with related issues and activities including prevention of drug use, sexual violence, trafficking and efforts to reduce gender disparities.

Action for prevention

A broad set of activities linked to the objectives