What’s Going On?

January 26, 2012 — Jessica Cunha, YourOttawaRegion.com

Students at A.Y. Jackson Secondary School in Ottawa, Canada, raised over $2,000 at their annual fundraiser event for Kenya.

Twenty-nine students in the Grade 12 international business class partnered with Community Education Services Canada and Community Education Services Kenya to raise the funds during their Gala Dinner and Silent Auction for Kenya on Jan. 16 at the Kanata Holiday Inn & Suites.

December 12, 2012 — Joško Miše, Journal of Global Health

While discussing HIV prevention methods and sexuality education for young people with a youth officer working in one of the top UN agencies involved with fighting the HIV epidemic, I was told, "Yes, what you say is true—education for young people is very important. But you can’t measure early enough the impact of sexual education on HIV. If we start with the sexuality education programmes, we can measure their impact only after 5–10 years."

"Teen Sexual Health" — post on Project Aware Blog, January 18, 2012

A team of 25 teens—with adult support—are hard at work creating PSAs and videos about teen sexual health!

Here are some of the questions they are answering:

• What do teens think and feel about issues of sex, sexual health and sexuality?

December 22, 2011 — Adebayo Fayoyin, UNFPA

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Young leaders from 38 African countries have pledged to act as role models for their fellow youths by “protecting ourselves, our partners and families from HIV, sexually transmitted infections, unwanted pregnancies, harmful practices and gender-based violence which negatively affect the sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people.”

YAHAnet member Tarin Arndt has entered a Sunsuper Dreams contest with her friend Jess Ali McVeigh to try to win a $5000 grant to pay for the building of a rescue home for over 29 AIDS orphans in a slum in Kenya.

Please go vote for her proposal and send the link to all of your friends and colleagues!

November 14, 2011 — UNAIDS

Peer educators providing HIV prevention information during a community fair in Puntarenas

November 29, 2011 — Reed Vreeland, Real Health

What young people have to say can help sex educators create better HIV prevention lessons.

Kali Villarosa, a 10th grader in one of New York City’s top public schools, shares her concern that HIV prevention messages aren’t getting through to young people. Her solution? Have teachers and policy makers dramatically readjust their approach and take young people’s perspectives into account.

"Universal Access to Treatment – still a dream!"
December 26, 2011 — Shawn Lee, World Bank Youthink!

There are millions of young people living with HIV around the world.

December 1, 2011 — Tyler Spencer, Huffington Post

"Tell me, Tyler, is AIDS even a problem in the U.S.? What are the statistics like there?"

December 12, 2011 — Diana Coulter, UNICEF

Rushali Gajabhaye hasn’t travelled past the fields, coal mines and cement factories that surround her small village. But the 18-year-old is more sophisticated than most teenagers her age.

Without hesitation, she will stand before other village girls and talk about the importance of safe sex, or spend a few moments demonstrating the proper application of a condom on a plastic model.

Brave actions

December 12, 2011 — The New Times

Youth in Karongi District attending a civic training programme commonly known as Ingando have resolved to further contain the spread of HIV/AIDS through concerted efforts in raising awareness.

Joseline Umutoni, one of the Senior Six graduates attending the civic training programme at a Teacher Training Centre in Rubengera Sector noted that community health education helps in raising awareness about HIV/AIDS.

December 13, 2011 — Hanna Lee, TheDoGooder.com

December 6, 2011 — Edith Veremu, The Pendulum (Elon University's Student Newspaper)

There are many resources on campus regarding sexual health, but Elon University students aren't aware of these resources because the administration isn't disseminating these tools, students said.

Sophomore Tori Walker said she doesn't think the university is doing enough to promote safe sex, sexual health and overall good decision making. Walker said these topics are glossed over at the beginning of the year and there's no follow-up.

Click the image below to start the slideshow.

November 14, 2011 — Ibrahim Tarawallie, Concord Times (posted on allAfrica.com)

Freetown — The Sierra Leone Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS (SLYCHA) on Friday unveiled a national action plan which outlines the activities they plan to undertake for the next three years.

According to its national coordinator, Idrissa A. Conteh, the mission of the coalition is to advocate for access to comprehensive HIV prevention, treatment care and support services for young people.

November 17, 2011 — Alexander Moskowitz, The Daily Bruin (UCLA's student newspaper)

A van parked in Bruin Plaza allowed for quick-stop HIV testing, and student volunteers handed out free condoms as part of a World AIDS Day event on campus Wednesday.

The annual outreach effort aims to educate people about preventing HIV infection.

The theme for this year's event, put on by the Undergraduate Students Association Council, was "Gifts Should Come Wrapped"—a play on words referring to the holiday season and the use of contraceptives.

A CU dance major choreographed the synchronized flash mob dance, and CU's Community Health program has changed up the lyrics to LMFAO's popular hit "Party Rock Anthem."

The song's chorus has been revised to say: "Know your status in the house tonight/It only takes a little time/and it'll give you peace of mind/we just wanna see you ... test."

November 14, 2011 — Anne Kirya, allAfrica.com

Young Rwandans last week made an appeal for regular voluntary HIV counseling and testing in schools as a way of increasing awareness about the pandemic that now poses a serious threat to young people than ever before.

Statistics show that one in every three infected people in South Africa and Nigeria are youth. Globally, about four in every five infections are in Africa with 72 in every 100 of those infected with the virus that causes AIDS being young women.

November 8, 2011 — Ruby Leo, Daily Trust and allAfrica.com

An African regional summit intended to increase the knowledge of HIV/AIDS among students and make them contribute to efforts at mitigating the disease has been scheduled for November 25 to 27 in Abuja.

October 26, 2011 — Shereece Marcantonio, Huffington Post

You might have noticed a recent increase in news stories regarding the sexual health of young people and Sex and Relationships Education in schools. For example, Brook, the sexual health charity, has made headlines in the past few weeks around research they conducted and released on this very subject.

October 29, 2011 — The Times of Zambia and AllAfrica.com

A youth organization has called on stakeholders to emphasis the need for integration of HIV/AIDS and sexual reproductive health programmes to avoid vertical programmes and health centers and lessen duplication of work.

Youth Vision Zambia executive director, Amos Mwale said integration was an important element for HIV/AIDS and reproductive health as it would enhance the health service of the client.

September 12, 2011 — AID for AIDS International  via The Body

At age 14, very few youngsters have even begun to figure out who they are, let alone establish their professional career paths. But Carlos Pavel Smith, at age 14, was already volunteering with the Youth Leadership Movement Foundation in Panama, and setting his sights on a lifetime of service to his community.

*Copy of a post that appeared on www.thebody.com*

Young people from New Alternatives (a program for homeless LGBT youth) were asked to describe some of the challenges they face in staying HIV negative.

COURTNEY, 20

October 10, 2011 — Tsitsi Singizi, UNICEF

A peer educator, Limpho Molelekoa (15) takes charge at the school that have integrated hearing-impaired children with hearing children. ©UNICEF/Lesotho/2011

To a rousing welcome, Limpho Moleleko, 15, takes her place at the centre of the large circle. At just under 150 cm, she is not a tall girl, yet she evidently commands great respect among her peers, who range from 11 to 15 years of age. They listen attentively to what she has to say.

September 21, 2011 — Beige Luciano-Adams, Whittier Daily News

The fifth annual San Gabriel Valley HIV/AIDS Summit, hosted by Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, D-Pasadena, at City of Hope on Wednesday, attracted about 225 participants, almost double last year's number.

To close the event, a panel designed to provide a youth perspective on the disease and its sociological dimensions focused on education, prevention and advocacy for a new generation.

October 4, 2011 — Myriam Sikaala, GIZ Advisor–Health Programme

The following is from a Facebook post by Y-PEER on September 28, 2011:

Alongside UNAIDS and MTV Lebanon, Y-PEER is launching a novel competition today, a two-month project highlighting young people's roles in the global response to AIDS.

NOTE: The contest has been postponed to next week. Find out more.

Press Release:

Sex and Sensibilities (SAS), in partnership with DKT Reproductive Health (Frenzy Condoms and Filipinay), will be holding a mandala art making contest using contraceptives on September 26–28 at the University of the Philippines-Diliman. A cash prize of up to P15,000 is at stake for groups with a winning mandala design.

Marlin Pierre

Youth today have the highest percentage of contracting HIV. Today's society of youth is not educated on how harmful this disease is. Most youth are not informed or taught the fundamentals of what HIV is and how it could be prevented.

August 29, 2011 — SOS Children's Villages Canada

Yesterday, adolescents from China and Kenya met for the first time in a peer-to-peer education initiative set up by the China NGO Network for International Exchanges (CNIE) and the NGO Co-ordination Board of Kenya. The youth meeting, which was held in advance of the China-Africa People's Forum that concludes tomorrow, is the first exchange of non-governmental organizations between African and China.