HIV is increasingly becoming a disease of the young. Right now, more than 3 million children are living with HIV.
Children under the age of 15 account for nearly 1 in 6 new HIV infections worldwide, and young people between the ages of 15 and 24 account for 40 per cent. In 2007 an estimated 920,000 young people 15-24 years of age acquired HIV.
Uninformed
Yet young people, particularly young women, remain alarmingly uninformed on even the most basic facts about HIV and prevention. Latest data indicates that in developing countries fewer than 40 per cent of young people have basic information about HIV. Not enough attention is being given to preventing HIV spreading further among young people around the world.
Adolescents and young people cannot protect themselves if they do not know the facts about HIV transmission and how to prevent it. In many cultures, discussions with adolescents about sex can be controversial and uncomfortable.
In sub-Saharan Africa, adolescent girls and young women are particularly affected, with far more young women becoming infected than young men. For many impoverished girls and young women, exchanging sex for money, food or other benefits may be the only way to make a living or support their families.
Avoiding risk
There is clear evidence of the effectiveness of comprehensive strategies for keeping adolescents and young people free of infection and helping them to avoid risk. Young people need practical help in the form of youth-friendly health services where they can get condoms, obtain treatment for sexually transmitted infections and seek informed advice. For the most marginalised young people, such as those who inject drugs, even more specialised prevention services, such as needle exchange programmes, are also essential.
Education
There is compelling evidence that a basic education, including sound knowledge about sexuality and HIV, can make a significant contribution to the prevention of HIV and AIDS.
However, in 2006, some 75 million children – 55 per cent of them girls – were not in primary education. UNICEF strongly advocates for the abolition of school fees – an action that will particularly benefit poor children, including those affected by HIV and AIDS. We also support measures such as school feeding programmes and flexible learning.
UNAIDS studies show that when young people are provided with accurate information on sex and HIV and AIDS, they are more likely to delay sexual activity and more likely to use condoms when they do have sex. UNICEF supports programmes providing this information through schools, the media and social clubs.
Read about Brothers for Life, a UNICEF-supported campaign in South Africa to educate young men about safe sex.
