ADOLECENCE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS
Despite the world wide decrease in HIV related deaths over the past years, death among adolescents aged 10 to 19 living with HIV has risen considerably. Young women and adolescent girls are disproportionately vulnerable and at high risk. There are almost 380 000 [340 000–440 000] new HIV infections among adolescent girls and young women (10–24 years old) around the world every year. Especially young women 15 to 24 years of age have a 50% higher chance to get infected with HIV compared to men the same age. In South Africa, women acquire HIV infection at least 5 to7 years earlier than men.
The high prevalence of adolescents HIV status especially among adolescent girls and young women point to the fact that the needs in this group has not been adequately addressed!
Adolescents living with HIV face considerable challenges and have unique needs and vulnerabilities, as compared with young children and adults.
One of the major challenge young people face is the limited sexuality education and information on sexual and reproductive health and rights they receive. Young people must understand early in life the ongoing risk of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Access to and the understanding of contraceptives among young people are limited. Condom use at last higher risk sex is also lower in young women compared to men (W: 37%; M: 57%) pointing to the fact that these women are often confronted with gender based violence and have limited success in negotiating condom use with their partner.
Especially adolescent living with HIV/Aids face major barriers accessing treatment tailored to their needs. Problematic laws and policies including parental consent laws hinder adolescents reaching HIV testing and counselling services. They also face more often stigmatization and discrimination with inadequate access to health and social services.
As a result, questions are rapidly emerging as to how best to address these needs while also ensuring successful treatment, long-term retention, and optimal outcomes during the complex and often difficult transition from childhood to adulthood.
The symposium on adolescent health organized by Medicus Mundi Switzerland (05/11/2014) highlighted the need for youth friendly health services (YFHS) for adolescents. Besides having a health facility which is appealing to young people with flexible opening hours, specific times for adolescents, which ensures privacy and confidentiality it needs skilled health professionals: special competencies are required to communicate and treat adolescents. This also implies that health professionals have the right attitude and believes towards adolescents and counsel adolescents adequately to use condoms to protect themselves from acquiring HIV or other STIs.
In conclusion if the world wants to end the Aids epidemic all people affected by HIV especially young people need full and equitable access to life-saving treatment and prevention services! In Chandra Moullis (WHO) words “We cannot continue to do the same thing and expect change” (MMS Symposium, 2014): there is a high need for strong political leadership and technical consensus, partnership, secure funding and strong management, coupled with persistence and courage to address the challenges to better health for adolescents.
Otieno Ndinguri
References
The Gap Report
UNAIDS, 2014
http://www.unaids.org/sites/default/files/en/media/unaids/contentassets/documents/unaidspublication/2014/UNAIDS_Gap_report
The high prevalence of adolescents HIV status especially among adolescent girls and young women point to the fact that the needs in this group has not been adequately addressed!
Adolescents living with HIV face considerable challenges and have unique needs and vulnerabilities, as compared with young children and adults.
One of the major challenge young people face is the limited sexuality education and information on sexual and reproductive health and rights they receive. Young people must understand early in life the ongoing risk of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Access to and the understanding of contraceptives among young people are limited. Condom use at last higher risk sex is also lower in young women compared to men (W: 37%; M: 57%) pointing to the fact that these women are often confronted with gender based violence and have limited success in negotiating condom use with their partner.
Especially adolescent living with HIV/Aids face major barriers accessing treatment tailored to their needs. Problematic laws and policies including parental consent laws hinder adolescents reaching HIV testing and counselling services. They also face more often stigmatization and discrimination with inadequate access to health and social services.
As a result, questions are rapidly emerging as to how best to address these needs while also ensuring successful treatment, long-term retention, and optimal outcomes during the complex and often difficult transition from childhood to adulthood.
The symposium on adolescent health organized by Medicus Mundi Switzerland (05/11/2014) highlighted the need for youth friendly health services (YFHS) for adolescents. Besides having a health facility which is appealing to young people with flexible opening hours, specific times for adolescents, which ensures privacy and confidentiality it needs skilled health professionals: special competencies are required to communicate and treat adolescents. This also implies that health professionals have the right attitude and believes towards adolescents and counsel adolescents adequately to use condoms to protect themselves from acquiring HIV or other STIs.
In conclusion if the world wants to end the Aids epidemic all people affected by HIV especially young people need full and equitable access to life-saving treatment and prevention services! In Chandra Moullis (WHO) words “We cannot continue to do the same thing and expect change” (MMS Symposium, 2014): there is a high need for strong political leadership and technical consensus, partnership, secure funding and strong management, coupled with persistence and courage to address the challenges to better health for adolescents.
Otieno Ndinguri
References
The Gap Report
UNAIDS, 2014
http://www.unaids.org/sites/default/files/en/media/unaids/contentassets/documents/unaidspublication/2014/UNAIDS_Gap_report
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