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HIV counseling and testing services offer important benefits to all youth, regardless of their HIV status. Young people who test positive for HIV can access care and treatment services and be encouraged to adopt healthy behaviors that will enhance their quality of life and limit their risk of infecting others. Those who are not infected can be counseled on making safe choices that will help them avoid infection in the future.
Furthermore, counseling and testing provides an opportunity to offer a host of other services to youth. Youth can be encouraged to consider other issues related to sexual behavior, such as preventing sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancy. Providers can counsel young people on abstinence and provide appropriate contraception for those who are and wish to remain sexually active. Finally, the counseling and testing process can be a powerful tool for helping young people deal with peer pressure and adopt and sustain healthy behaviors that will benefit them the rest of their lives.
Recommended Resources
Reports and Briefs
Increasing HIV/AIDS Therapy Adherence among Youth in Mozambique: the TAP/Pathfinder International Experience (PDF, 8 pages, 455 KB)
This document provides an overview of the World Bank-funded Treatment Acceleration Project (TAP) in Mozambique. It outlines Pathfinder's comprehensive program for youth that integrates counseling, treatment, and care to promote HIV testing and antiretroviral therapy adherence for HIV-positive youth. The program demonstrates the effective role to be played by well-trained peer advocates and their collaboration with quality youth-friendly clinical services. (Pathfinder International, 2009)
Attracting Youth to Voluntary Counseling and Testing Services in Uganda
An exploratory study in Kampala and Masaka, Uganda revealed that youth want information, confidentiality, low-cost HIV testing, and friendly, professional counseling. (Horizons, 2004)
Equitable Access to HIV Counseling and Testing for Youth in Developing Countries: A Review of Current Practice
This report assesses the available evidence about voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) and youth in developing countries: the impact of VCT among youth, what kind of services are needed, how policy and stigma affect access, and how VCT can be connected to other health resources, including care. It includes recommendations and a bibliography. (Horizons, 2004)
HIV Voluntary Counseling and Testing
This research brief summarizes the research and programmatic approaches targeting youth that were available in 2002. (Family Health International/YouthNet, 2002)
Voluntary Counseling and Testing and Young People: A Summary Overview
This document provides information on voluntary counseling and testing for youth. Included are barriers to youths' access, eight case studies, models of services, issues to consider when implementing, and more. (Family Health International, 2002)
Tools
Training Guide for HIV Counseling and Testing for Youth: A Manual for Providers (PDF, 919 KB)
This guide was developed to train providers to use HIV Counseling and Testing for Youth: A Manual for Providers (see resource below). The training guide emphasizes an integrated approach to counseling youth during HIV testing. It features interactive exercises, participant practice sessions, PowerPoint slides, and other training tools. Among topics covered are an introduction to integrated counseling and testing services, clinical and nonclinical models of counseling and testing, major steps in providing integrated counseling and testing, an overview of sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy prevention methods, social marketing, and community support for integrated youth services. (Interagency Youth Working Group, 2008)
HIV Counseling and Testing for Youth: A Manual for Providers
This manual provides:
- Step-by-step information for using a counseling and testing model for youth in general or specialized clinical settings
- Information on how to counsel youth and use youth-friendly service approaches
- Resources to help meet the broader sexual needs of youth, including information on contraceptive options and sexually transmitted infections
- Tips and role-plays to use with young people on abstinence, being faithful, and using condoms
- A guide for creating a referral network and more (Family Health International/YouthNet, 2004, updated 2007)
Voluntary Counseling and Testing Toolkit
This toolkit is a collection of resources for developing, expanding, and maintaining VCT services in resource-constrained countries. Many of these general tools can be used for services targeting youth. The toolkit is intended for governments, development partners, and public- and private-sector organizations that establish HIV counseling and testing programs and services. (Family Health International, 2005)
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