Abstract Book Vol. 2 [International Conference on AIDS (14th: 2002: Barcelona, Spain)]

XIV International AIDS Conference

Abstracts ThPeF8153-ThPeF8156 623

We started a research-intervention project with low income young men, students
of a state high school, from Recife/Brazil, working in weekly workshops of sensitization and prevention, trying to promote the deconstruction of what we consider
to be vulnerable masculine traits when confronted with the infection of HIV/Aids
and other STDs.
We use Theatre and Development theory as our methodological resource, as a
tool to reflection regarding their current attitude towards life and the possibilities
of new practices, thus, opening way to discuss the models of manhood and the
vulnerability associated with them.
The young men we work with have demonstrated a higher interest concerning
their health and the prevention of HIV/Aids, therefore, a better notion of self-care,
making possible for them to rethink, even if in a symbolic way, the connections
between these subjects, and reconstruct them, in a positive and less vulnerable
manner.
We consider that it is extremely important to grasp the community's concepts of
health, STD/Aids and prevention, before initializing interventional policies. Having
this as a reference, we are structuring with the young men's group, multiplicative actions that use art/theatre to overcome the school's walls, reaching the local
community.
Presenting author: Benedito Medrado, Rua Mardonio de A. Nascimento, 129
Varzea Recife/PE 50741-380, Brazil, Tel.: [phone], Fax: +55 81
34546567, E-mail: [email protected]
ThPeF8153 Building on momentum: the development of youth
coordinated activities
A.K.R. Ross. Youth-Peer Suport Officer for Straight Arrows, Richmond, Victoria,
Australia
Issues: There is an opportunity to build on the momentum and success of current youth-based initiatives by extending the capacity of youth to mobilize against
the impact and spread of HIV/AIDS. Youth, considered a maginalized group, have
a significant contribution to make in responce to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, rather
than requiring sympathy, handouts or work done for or on behalf of young people,
the focus will be to empower and skill young people to initiate and manage their
own activities and participate in driving forward a youth-based response on both
regional and global levels.
Description: The aim is to involve young people in every step of decision-making,
design, delivery, and evaluation of youth programs. The objective is to ensure that
both HIV positive and HIV affected youth have equal opportunities to respond to
the HIV/AIDS epidemic through the development of a youth training program that
can be implemented in a variety of cultural settings; irrespective of social and
economic contexts and limitations of local resources. The intention is to create a
responce genuinely controlled by and reflective of the needs of young people.
Lessons learned: The 6th ICAAP hosted the first inaugural Youth Forum, which
brought together over 200 young people, enabling interaction with peers and a
vital opportunity for the exchange of knowledge, personal experience and insight.
This allowed young people to define their own role and ensured that a voice for
young people was directly reflected back to Congress through the development
and release of the ICAAP Youth Declaration. This document put forward important
recommendations for the direct involvement and role of youth in future development of HIV/AIDS youth activities.
Recommendation: Young people need to be equipped with the means and resources to respond themselves on all levels - the skills to organise and effectively
facilitate initiatives by gaining access to appropriate, relevant and comprehensive
information.
Presenting author: Alischa Ross, 4 Peers Street, Richmond, Victoria, 3121, Australia, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]
ThPeF8154 I A survey of HIVM/AIDS peer prevention approaches
among youth in Haiti
J.R. Brutus1, J. Shields de Leiva2. 1FHI/Haiti, FHI/AIDS Institute, 2101 Wilson
Blvd., Suite 700, Arlington, VA 22201, Haiti; 2FHI/AIDS Institute, Arlington, VA,
United States
Issues: Peer education has long been a primary mode of HIV/AIDS prevention
among youth. In Haiti, peer based prevention programs are well accepted because of their cost-effectiveness and the ease of youth to youth communication.
Description: This presentation will explore the HIV/AIDS peer prevention programs of three different organizations among youth. The organizations profiled
include: VDH, FOSREF, and PSI/Haiti. VDH initiated its program in 1990 and currently supports the efforts of 1.000 peer educators. Since 1995, FOSREF has
sought to reach young people through youth centers, schools and community
outreach. PSI initiated activities in 1996 with their "Clubs Cool". Today the clubs
number 650 in Haiti. Specific emphasis will be given to the technical and programmatic approaches espoused by these organizations.

Lessons learned: Youth peer educators have special needs in terms of training,
encouragement, and support. Involving females and youth with limited education
are particular challenges. Given the unique nature of youth programs, turnover is
high and recruitment needs greater than programs for other populations.
Recommendations: In order to prevent duplication of efforts and to enhance
HIV/AIDS prevention already being work being done, collaboration between organizations needs to be encouraged. Situtation analyses need to be conducted

before designing programs. Community support at both the initiaton as well as
throughout the course of the project is key to sustainability and improving reach.
Complementary services-medical and social-need to be taken into account to
provide adeuqate referral networks to youth being targeted.
Presenting author: Jennifer Shields de Leiva, FHI/ AIDS Institute, 2101 Wilson
Blvd., Suite 700, Arlington, VA 22201, United States, Tel.: [phone], Fax:
+1 703.516.9781, E-mail: [email protected]
ThPeF8155I Youth involvement and participation in the fight
against AIDS - A SA youth perspective
Y. Makhasi. National Youth Commission, Private Bag X938, Pretoria, 0001,
South Africa
Issues: The text briefly relate experiences of SA's youth in the fight against Aids
through involvement and participation in the implementation of a national project
called Young Positive Living Ambassadors (YPLA)
Descriptions: YPLA is a youth oriented HIV/AIDS project implemented in five
provinces, supported by government as well as the donor community. It employes
the skills and abilities of young people who have tested positive to HIV/AIDS (Ambassadors) to engage in outreach and awareness programmes targeting young
people irrespective of their status esp. those residing in rural areas and informal
settlements. The Ambassadors receive ongoing training and capacity building to
update their knowledge and information about HIV/AIDS, and are involved in outreach work through visits to institutions of learning, health centres and wherever
youth are found.
The promject aims to:
1) Promote the concept and practice of positive living as a preventative tool
2) Encourage sexual behavioural change
3) Network, lobby and advocate for issues of youth affected and infected by Aids.
Lessons learned: 1) Young people are at ease to talk about issues affecting
them in informal gatherings such as youth clubs, church groups etc instead of
structured interaction e.g in a health centre etc
2) Positive living talk/training assists them to easily make decisions on issues
such as voluntary testing, disclosure etc.
Recommendations: 1)Govts, private sector and donor agencies should provide
more support and resources to youth initiatives targeting HIV/AIDS
2)There is a need for greater involvement of youth in decision-making processes
as some policy decisions have negative impact to them
3) There is a need to strengthen the advocacy and networking ability of youth
esp. on issues pertaining to their health.
4) Since youth are the most infected and affected, positive talk and living is the
key to ensure that even those who are positive do not give up on life.
Presenting author: Yoliswa Makhasi, Private Bag X938, Pretoria, 1, South Africa,
Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]
ThPeF8156I Prevention of HIV-infection among young people
and teenagers. St.-Petersburg, Russia.
P. Novoselov. Hasanskaya 8, K. 1 Ap. 181, Sankt-Petersburg 195426, Russian
Federation
Issues: The ten-fold increase in the number of people infected with HIV/AIDS in
St. petersburg, Russia during the last year demonstrates the tremendous need to
programs prevention of HIV-infection among young people and teenagers. Deep
economic crisis of Russia, unenployment, low level of welfare, nonsufficiant sexual and health education, high spread of the STIs among young people and
teenagers, limited access to HIV diagnostics and treatment, incapability of state
medicine to cope with the problem of the HIV/AIDS spreading in the country - all
these factors have influenced to make St. Petersburg the leader as to the rate of
the HIV among of all cities of Russia.
Description: During three years was lead studying seminars and lectures in
universities and schools by prevention drug-using and HIV/AIDS. Lead questionnaires for control knowledge before and after lead studying seminars. Was
prepared and produced informations material by prevention HIV/AIDS and drugusing among different groups of young people. Lead teaching of volunteer, from
number of students, for working with pupils and teenagers. Masterpieces of the
competitions participant cause interest of the newspaper reporters, radio and television. Informations spreading by means of mass-media help as to have more and
more participants on each next competition.
Conclusions: Programs to prevention of HIV-infection among young people and
teenagers should be supported by city administration and medical authorities'
governmental and non-governmental organizations, municipal committees for
family and youth.
Presenting author: Peter Novoselov, Hasanskaya 8, K.1 Ap.181, SanktPetersburg 195426, Russian Federation, Tel.: [phone], E-mail: tatianabakulina@ yahoo.com