loveLife Youth HIV Prevention Program to Be Featured at International AIDS Conference in Durban [International Conference on AIDS (13th: 2000: Durban, South Africa)]

Groundbreaking multimedia. Among IoveLife's projects are Jika Jika, the first
straighttalking TV series for youth on sex, gender and relationships; Codi: Loud and
Clear, a series of TV messages using a popular animated character to encourage
children of six and older to talk to adults about difficult issues; and S'camto, a TV
program entirely filmed and produced by five teams of youths ages 12-17. Each
episode of S'camfo (the name is Kwaito slangfor "talk about it") ties discussion of
sexual health and responsibility to a personal episode in the life of one of the members
of the film crow. Following the success of the series, loveLife has released a youth
newspaper, also titled S'camto, which comrbines stories about youth culture,
entertainment and sport with sexual health information. Published monthly in the
Sunday Times, this youth newspaper now has a circulation of approximately 3 million.
For those who give and get their information via the internet, loveLife hosts a website
and online chat room (www.lovoLife.org,.za).
Youth friendly services in public clinics Working in partnership with the South
African government's Department of Health, loveLife has developed national standards
for adolescent friendly services in primary health clinics, where more than 80% of South
Africans receive care.
Youth hotlines. Working with South Africa's National Youth Commission, loveLife has
established a toll free sexual health HelpLine providing information, counseling and
referrals to young people. The, Hotline has received more than 70,000 calls per month
since its launch in September 1999.
Recreational centers. loveLife recreational centers, known as Y Centres, have
opened in four South African provinces. Each.center includes sexual health education,
counseling and care, partnership with a local radio station, and a basketball court.
Y buses allow peer groups from the centers to take their outreach and peer education
programs "on the road" to remote communities.
Iov4Life Partners
The loveLife initiative is collaboration between the Department of Health, the National
Youth Commission, Unicef, the Sowetan and the SABC. The loveLife program is carried
out by a consortium of non-governmental organizations including Planned Parenthood
of South Africa, the Reproductive Health Research Unit, the Health Systems Trust and
Advocacy initiatives.

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