Preventing HIV/AIDS in young people: A systematic review of the evidence from developing countries

Overview

Young people are particularly vulnerable to HIV: 15–24 year olds account for 50% of new cases. Five to six thousand youths become infected every day, most of them in developing countries. The UN General Assembly Special Session on AIDS in June 2001 set a number of goals to drive efforts to reduce prevalence in this age group.

This report provides evidence-based recommendations for policy-makers, programme managers and researchers to guide efforts towards meeting the UN goals on HIV/AIDS and young people. These goals aim to decrease prevalence and vulnerability; and to increase access to information, skills and services.

This report provides a systematic review of the effectiveness of interventions provided: through schools, health services, mass media, communities, and to young people who are most vulnerable to HIV infection.

The report classifies these interventions into three categories:

• Steady (don’t implement yet, needs more work and evaluation)
• Ready (implement widely, but evaluate carefully)
• Go (implement on a large scale while monitoring coverage and quality).