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A Common Cause

Young people, sexuality and HIV/AIDS in three African countries

72 pages; published 1997; ISBN 1 872502 46 6

Conventional approaches to HIV/AIDS prevention among young people in sub-Saharan Africa seem to be having little impact. Many young people know the basic facts about AIDS, but are poorly informed about sexuality and reproduction. This book describes how NGOs and community groups in three African countries have developed fresh approaches to AIDS prevention through sexuality education, condom distribution, counselling, recreation and other activities.

• In Nigeria — Action Health Incorporated (AHI) has taken sexuality education into secondary schools and trained hundreds of young people as peer educators.
• In Botswana — the Botswana Family Welfare Association (BOFWA), which is affiliated to the International Planned Parenthood Federation, operates youth centres which offer recreation, information advice, counselling and free condoms to young men and women.
• Also in Botswana — the YWCA is well on the way to achieving national coverage of secondary schools through its Peer Approach to Counselling and Training (PACT) programme.
• In Tanzania the Fleet of Hope initiative promotes a concept of 'three boats' (Abstinence, Fidelity, Condom Use) as a simple but effective survival strategy, especially for young people.

A wall of silence still separates many millions of young people in sub-Saharan Africa from potentially life saving information about their own sexuality and reproductive health. This barrier needs to be demolished. Young people can, and must, be trusted with the facts about their own sexuality and reproductive health...[they] should not be wilfully denied information that could help to protect their health and prevent their premature deaths.

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This book is also available in French. For further information please click here.