Honduras: HIV/AIDS Prevention Among Youth, 2002
Youth and adolescents of Honduras, like youth throughout the world, are caught up in a pandemic of HIV/AIDS. They can also be a resource for conquering it. An August 2002 baseline study of 5900 Honduran youth from 15 to 23 years of age in 11 cities where 80% of Honduras’s HIV/AIDS cases occur generated evidence to help evaluate current programmes, design new ones, influence sexual behaviour and encourage youth leadership in preventing HIV.
Throughout the study CIET worked closely with COMVIDA, an alliance of youth-oriented organizations from the governmental, non-governmental, religious and private sectors, supported by German Technical Cooperation (GTZ). UNICEF Honduras requested and financed the study.
The principal results of this baseline study are presented in the form of five steps for HIV/AIDS prevention among Honduran youth under the headings of strengthening support networks, preparing oneself for decisions about sexuality, protecting oneself, maintaining links with health services and avoiding associated risks. Subsequent studies will be able to measure changes resulting from the strategies adopted.
