Interagency Youth Working Group
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1. Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Toolkit for Humanitarian Settings
2. Amor Youth Clinic Network in Estonia
3. Biological Sciences and HIV and AIDS: A Generic Integration Course Module for Universities in Sub-Saharan Africa
4. Child and Youth Development Notes: Youth Investments in the World Bank Portfolio
5. Evolution of the National Adolescent-friendly Clinic Initiative in South Africa
6. A Gauge of HIV Prevention in South Africa: October 2008
7. Gender Norms and Family Planning Decision-Making in Tanzania: A Qualitative Study
8. Guidelines for Training of Trainers (TOT)
9. HIV Prevention in the Melmoth Area, KwaZulu-Natal
10. From Inception to Large Scale: The Geração Biz Programme in Mozambique
11. The National Child Participation Guide for Uganda
12. Positive Indicators of Child Well-being: A Conceptual Framework, Measures, and Methodological Issues
13. Training the Trainer: a Guide to Training Trainers — Specifically in Relation to Trafficking in Children and the Sexual Exploitation of Children
14. Women and Health: Today's Evidence, Tomorrow's Agenda
1. Adolescent reproductive health in Indonesia: contested values and policy inaction
2. Are female orphans at risk for early marriage, early sexual debut, and teen pregnancy? Evidence from sub-Saharan Africa
3. Condom brands, perceptions of condom efficacy and HIV prevention among university students in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
4. Development and test-retest reliability of a research instrument designed to evaluate school-based HIV/AIDS interventions in South Africa and Tanzania
5. Emotional and behavioural disorders in HIV seropositive adolescents in urban Uganda
6. Experiences of sexual coercion among adolescent women: qualitative findings from Rakai district, Uganda
7. Factors affecting awareness of emergency contraception among college students in Kathmandu, Nepal
8. I am not "umqwayito": a qualitative study of peer pressure and sexual risk behaviour among young adolescents in Cape Town, South Africa
9. Knowledge, attitudes and sexual practices of university students for advancing peer HIV education
10. Predictor factors associated with premarital sexual behaviors among university students in an Islamic culture
11. Risk factors for HIV infection among Haitian adolescents and young adults seeking counseling and testing in Port-au-Prince
12. Sexual practices among unmarried adolescents in Tanzania
13. Young clients of hotel-based sex workers in Bangladesh: vulnerability to HIV, risk perceptions, and expressed needs for interventions
14. Young people's understanding of HIV: a qualitative study among school students in Mankweng, South Africa
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1. Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Toolkit for Humanitarian Settings (2009, 92 pages, 3 MB)
This toolkit is intended to guide humanitarian program managers and healthcare providers to ensure that sexual and reproductive health interventions for adolescents are put into place both during and after a crisis, whether natural or man-made. The toolkit is meant to accompany the adolescent services chapter of the Inter-Agency Field Manual on Reproductive Health in Humanitarian settings. The tools are designed to be user-friendly, so that service providers who have never been trained to work with adolescents can feel comfortable treating them during an emergency.
Organization: United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Save the Children, USA
Contact: publications@unfpa.org
2. Amor Youth Clinic Network in Estonia (2009, 56 pages, 5.4 MB)
This publication is part of WHO's series of case studies on adolescent health. It documents one of three initiatives in different developing countries that demonstrated clear evidence of increased use of health services by adolescents.
Organization: WHO
Contact: bookorders@who.int
3. Biological Sciences and HIV and AIDS: A Generic Integration Course Module for Universities in Sub-Saharan Africa (2008, 36 pages, 1.1 MB)
This teaching module aims to help university professors integrate information about HIV and AIDS into lectures on biological sciences. The module is the result of in-country training workshops for lecturers, called "Higher Education Science and Curricular Reforms: African Universities responding to HIV and AIDS," which were held in Ghana, Rwanda, Botswana, and Kenya. The module contains input from participants from public and private institutions of higher education and is based on their biology curricula.
Organization: UNESCO and African Women in Science and Engineering (AWSE)
Contact: nairobi@unesco.org
4. Child and Youth Development Notes: Youth Investments in the World Bank Portfolio (2009, 4 pages, 975 KB)
The brief provides a summary of World Bank projects targeting youth between 1995 and 2007. The purpose is to identify trends in lending and grants in terms of loan amounts, the number of projects, sectoral emphasis, and regional distribution.
Organization: World Bank
Contact: childrenandyouth@worldbank.org
5. Evolution of the National Adolescent-friendly Clinic Initiative in South Africa (2009, 52 pages, 2.3 MB)
This document describes an initiative for quality improvement in adolescent-friendly services implemented in public-sector primary health care clinics in South Africa. The main steps of the program are described, as are the key lessons learned.
Organization: WHO
Contact: bookorders@who.int
6. A Gauge of HIV Prevention in South Africa: October 2008 (2009, 54 pages, 2.5 MB)
This document summarizes published information about the state of the HIV epidemic in South Africa. It identifies trends in prevalence and incidence of HIV and self-reported sexual behavior; identifies gaps in knowledge, or key indicators that would help fill the gaps; and discusses policy and programmatic implications of the findings. The document includes detailed data specific to HIV and young people.
Organization: loveLife
Contact: gauge@lovelife.org.za
7. Gender Norms and Family Planning Decision-Making in Tanzania: A Qualitative Study (2009, 20 pages, 149 KB)
This study reports on research in Tanzania that examined the role of gender norms in decision-making among young married women and men on issues of family planning and contraceptive use. Findings point to the need to address gender norms and misinformation about modern contraceptives when designing interventions. Engaging both men and women, encouraging equitable decision-making, and strengthening the capacity of family planning clinics to provide accurate information are important considerations for intervention activities.
Organization: C-Change
Contact: change@aed.org
8. Guidelines for Training of Trainers (TOT) (2009, 20 pages, 351 KB)
This publication provides guidelines on planning, conducting, and evaluating training of trainer workshops, specifically for people who work with orphans and vulnerable youth in Uganda. The guidelines cover facilitation skills and provide an overview of the subject matter.
Organization: CORE Initiative, Government of Uganda
Contact: ovcsecretariat@mglsd.go.ug
9. HIV Prevention in the Melmoth Area, KwaZulu-Natal (2009, 4 pages, 1 MB)
loveLife is a national HIV prevention program for young people in South Africa. This document outlines findings of a review conducted in mid-2007 on the effect of loveLife's intervention in communities within a 5-km radius of clinics in the Melmoth (KwaMagwaza) area of KwaZulu-Natal.
Organization: loveLife
Contact: talk@lovelife.org.za
10. From Inception to Large Scale: The Geração Biz Programme in Mozambique (2009, 52 pages, 4.2 MB)
This case study describes how the Government of Mozambique scaled up its successful youth HIV prevention and sexual and reproductive health program to a national level. Geared toward developing-country governments and nongovernmental organizations, the case study provides a technical overview of the program and its interventions, a detailed description of the scale-up process and lessons learned, and the program's achievements.
Organization: WHO, Pathfinder International
Contact: bookorders@who.int
11. The National Child Participation Guide for Uganda (2009, 68 pages, 5.7 MB)
The goal of this guide is to encourage a safe environment that promotes the participation of children in the family, community, and institutions. It is specifically designed for those working at institutions and organizations such as schools, health care facilities, legal institutions, probation and welfare institutions, local councils, community-based organizations, and the media.
Organization: Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development
Contact: ps@mglsd@.go.ug
12. Positive Indicators of Child Well-being: A Conceptual Framework, Measures, and Methodological Issues (2009, 100 pages, 915 KB)
This paper highlights a number of frameworks for developing indicators that examine the positive well-being of children, rather than just indicators that reflect negative behavior (like drug use, smoking, and others).
Organization: UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre
Contact: florence@unicef.org
13. Training the Trainer: a Guide to Training Trainers — Specifically in Relation to Trafficking in Children and the Sexual Exploitation of Children (2009, 75 pages, 919 KB)
This guide has been developed to assist people who are providing training to trainers to combat the trafficking of children. The methodology has also been used in the training of trainers on a broad range of issues and could be adapted to train trainers on other subjects related to children's welfare and rights.
Organization: ECPAT
Contact: info@ecpat.net
14. Women and Health: Today's Evidence, Tomorrow's Agenda (2009, 91 pages, 3.2 MB)
Executive Summary (10 pages, 498 KB)
The report calls for action both within the health sector and beyond to improve the health and lives of girls and women around the world. The report provides the latest and most comprehensive evidence available on women's specific needs and health challenges over their entire life. The report includes the latest global and regional figures on the health and leading causes of death in women from birth, through childhood, adolescence and adulthood, to older age.
Organization: WHO
Contact: genderandhealth@who.int
1. Adolescent reproductive health in Indonesia: contested values and policy inaction. Utomo ID, McDonald P. Stud Fam Plann 2009;40(2):133–46.
This study examines how the changing social and political context affects adolescent sexual and reproductive health policy in Indonesia. In 2001, Indonesia was close to implementing an adolescent reproductive health policy that was consistent with international agreements to which the Indonesian government was a party. The opportunity for reform passed quickly with the emergence of a new competing force, Middle Eastern fundamentalist Islam. Faced with the risk of regional separatism and competing politico-religious influences, the Indonesian government did not act in this area of policy. The sexual and reproductive values and behaviors that are emerging among single young people in contemporary Indonesia are conditioned by a political context that allows the conflicting forces of traditional Indonesian values, Westernization, and the strong emerging force of fundamentalist Islam to compete for the allegiance of young people.
2. Are female orphans at risk for early marriage, early sexual debut, and teen pregnancy? Evidence from sub-Saharan Africa. Palermo T, Peterman A. Stud Fam Plann 2009;40(2):101–12.
This study draws from recent Demographic and Health Surveys from ten sub-Saharan African countries to examine the relationship between orphanhood status and measures of early marriage, early sexual debut, and teen pregnancy among adolescent girls ages 15 to 17. Results indicate that, overall, little association is found between orphanhood and early marriage or teen pregnancy, whereas evidence from seven countries supports associations between orphanhood and early sexual debut. Findings are sensitive to the use of multivariate models, type of orphan, and country setting. Orphanhood status alone may not be a sufficient targeting mechanism for addressing these outcomes in many countries; a broader, multidimensional targeting scheme including orphan type, schooling, and poverty measures would be more robust in identifying and aiding young women at risk.
3. Condom brands, perceptions of condom efficacy and HIV prevention among university students in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Mulwo AK, Tomaselli KG, Dalrymple L. Afr J AIDS Res 2009;8(3):311–20.
This paper examines perceptions of public-sector condoms and the impact of these perceptions on condom use among university students, based on the findings of research conducted at three universities in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Study findings indicate that public-sector condoms are perceived as ineffective, smelly, and even infectious, and are widely seen to be of lower status than the commercial brands. These perceptions were found to influence condom use as some students preferred to engage in unprotected sex rather than use public-sector condoms. The paper highlights the need for communication programs to demystify the misconceptions surrounding public-sector condoms and to provide reassurance of the quality of such condoms.
4. Development and test-retest reliability of a research instrument designed to evaluate school-based HIV/AIDS interventions in South Africa and Tanzania. Mukoma W, Flisher AJ, Helleve A, et al. Scand J Public Health 2009;37(Suppl 2):7–15.
This article reports on the development and psychometric properties of an instrument to evaluate school-based HIV/ AIDS interventions aimed at adolescents in three African sites. The instrument was developed in a series of steps that involved a review of existing instruments; use of empirical data and secondary literature supporting an association between the variables of interest and sexual intercourse or condom use; operationalizing the constructs of the theoretical model employed; and using the objectives of the intervention. Test-retest reliability studies were conducted at each site. The questionnaire demonstrated good internal consistency and adequate test-retest reliability.
5. Emotional and behavioural disorders in HIV seropositive adolescents in urban Uganda. Musisi S, Kinyanda E. East Afr Med J 2009;86(1):16–24.
The authors conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study among 82 HIV-seropositive adolescents in Kampala, Uganda. Over half (55.6%) of the subjects were females. They were mostly (88.9%) under the age of 15 years, orphans (97.6%), and lived with non-parental relatives (68.3%). Almost two thirds (60.9%) of them were in the HIV/AIDS clinical disease stage III or IV and were not on antiretrovirals. Forty-two (51.2%) of the subjects had significant psychological distress (SRQ-25 scores > or = 6) and 14 (17.1%) had attempted suicide within the last 12 months. Their specific psychiatric disorders, determined using ICD-10 criteria, were: anxiety (45.6%), depression (40.8%), somatization (18.0%), seizures (8.4%), mania (1.2%), and HIV-associated progressive encephalopathy (4.8%). The authors conclude that HIV/AIDS infection in adolescence was associated with considerable psychological problems and the presence of major psychiatric disorders. With the current increasing availability of effective antiretroviral therapy, many of these children are surviving into adolescence, thus calling for the development of adolescent-friendly HIV medical and psychological support and treatment services in developing countries such as Uganda.
6. Experiences of sexual coercion among adolescent women: qualitative findings from Rakai district, Uganda. Wagman J, Baumgartner JN, Waszak Geary C, et al. J Interpers Violence 2009;24(12):2073–95.
This article presents results from focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with pregnant and never-pregnant sexually active female adolescents, ages 15 to 17, to examine sexual coercion, its context, and the links between coercion and adolescent reproductive health outcomes, including early sexual debut and pregnancy. Informants described multiple forms of sexual coercion, including coerced or forced intercourse, unwanted sexual touching, verbal harassment, and transactional sex. Sexual coercion was perceived to be a normal part of intimate relationships; in particular, informants felt that a woman's lack of decision-making authority, including choices on sexual encounters, was implicit to marriage. This information may help violence prevention programs develop a range of strategies for addressing sexual coercion among adolescents.
7. Factors affecting awareness of emergency contraception among college students in Kathmandu, Nepal. Adhikari R. BMC Womens Health 2009;9(Article No. 27):5 p.
In Nepal, emergency contraception (EC) could play a critical role in reducing unintended pregnancies, but very few people are aware of it. This paper investigates the level of awareness and factors influencing awareness of EC among college students. A cross-sectional study was carried out in April–May 2006. Structured self-administered questionnaires were given to 1,137 college students (573 males and 564 females) in Kathmandu valley. Only about two-thirds of college students (68%) had ever heard of EC. Males were more aware (72%) of EC than were females (64%). Similarly, the awareness level was significantly higher among younger, unmarried youth who were from outside Kathmandu Valley, who lived with friends, and who had received reproductive health (RH) education in school. The study also found that students' sex, permanent place of residence (district), and RH education are significant predictors of awareness of EC. Males are 1.5 times more likely to be aware of EC compared to females. Furthermore, students who lived in Kathmandu Valley were 41% less likely to be aware of EC than were students from outside Kathmandu Valley. On the other hand, those students who received RH education in school were almost nine times more likely to be aware of EC compared to those who did not receive such education.
The full text (5 pages, 224 KB) is available online.
8. I am not "umqwayito'': a qualitative study of peer pressure and sexual risk behaviour among young adolescents in Cape Town, South Africa. Selikow T-A, Ahmed N, Flisher AJ, et al. Scand J Public Health 2009;37(Suppl 2):107–12.
The aim of the study was to understand how negative peer pressure increases high-risk sexual behavior among young adolescents in Cape Town, South Africa. The authors conducted eight focus groups with young people between the ages of 13 and 14 years. Discussions revealed that peer pressure among both boys and girls undermines healthy social norms and HIV prevention messages to abstain, be faithful, use a condom, and delay sexual debut.
9. Knowledge, attitudes and sexual practices of university students for advancing peer HIV education. Othero DM, Aduma P, Opil CO. East Afr Med J 2009;86(1):11–15.
The authors conducted an institutional-based cross-sectional study among 500 students (60% males and 40% females) at Maseno University in Kenya. They measured the students' levels of HIV and AIDS awareness and knowledge as well as students' attitudes and current related behavioral trends and tendencies. Of the 500 respondents included in the study, 68.5% of them reported having ever had sexual intercourse, with males being the majority at 78.2%, while the females were 54.7%. A large majority (77%) of females were in current sexual relationships compared to 66.7% of males. A significant proportion (54.8%) of first-year students reported having had their first sexual intercourse at the university. Sexual activity was seen to increase from 56.9% to 71.2% among the first-year students when they got to their second year of study at the university. Peer pressure emerged as an important factor in students' sexual behavior. Thirty-two percent of the students reported having undergone HIV tests, 70.8% were willing to go for a test, and 74.3% perceived they had a chance of being infected with the virus based on their previous risky sexual experiences. A significant 77.7% of the respondents affirmed having ever used condoms, but only 15.8% reported consistent use.
10. Predictor factors associated with premarital sexual behaviors among university students in an Islamic culture. Yasan A, Essizoglu A, Yildirim EA. Int J Sex Health 2009;21(3):145–52.
The authors examined premarital sexual behaviors among Turkish university students and the predictor factors for these behaviors. The study included 638 students (256 women and 382 men). Masturbation was reported by 53.3% of the participants, and sexual intercourse experience was reported by 26.3%. Men, heterosexual orientation, and non-religious/liberal religiosity were predictor factors for masturbation and premarital sexual foreplay and intercourse. That men reported having more sexual experiences than women may indicate gender double standards, while heterosexual orientation as a predictor of sexual behaviors could relate to homophobia, still prominent in Turkey. These findings highlight Islam's restrictive attitude towards sexuality despite continued Western influences.
11. Risk factors for HIV infection among Haitian adolescents and young adults seeking counseling and testing in Port-au-Prince. Dorjgochoo T, Noel F, Deschamps MM, et al. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2009;52(4):498–508.
The authors assessed associations between demographic and behavioral factors and HIV status using multivariable logistic regression analyses among 3,391 sexually active 13- to 25-year-olds in a voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) center in Port-au-Prince from October 2005 to September 2006. HIV infection was diagnosed in 6.3% of 2,533 females and 5.5% of 858 males. Age-specific prevalence was 3.4% for those aged 13–15, 4.7% for 16–19, and 6.8% for 20–25. Poor education, not residing with parents, currently or formerly married, having a child, and being self-referred or referred by others for VCT services were significant predictors of HIV in females. HIV infection was associated with considering oneself at higher risk, although most youth did not recognize this risk. HIV in females was also associated with suspected/confirmed sexually transmitted infection, especially genital ulcers; years of sexual activity; and suspicion that partners had other partners or a sexually transmitted infection. Among males, HIV was associated with drug use (though uncommon) and sexual debut with a casual/unknown person.
12. Sexual practices among unmarried adolescents in Tanzania. Kazaura MR, Masatu MC. BMC Public Health 2009;9(Article No. 373):6 p.
This study assessed sexual practices among unmarried adolescents through a cross-sectional survey conducted among in-school and out-of-school but unmarried adolescents ages 10 to 19 in five locations in Tanzania. A questionnaire was used to collect information and to characterize sexual practices among these adolescents. About 32% of adolescents reported being sexually active, a higher proportion being males than females. About 15% of sexually active adolescents reported having multiple sexual partners. Significantly more males than females reported having multiple partners. Nearly 42% of sexually active adolescents reported having used a condom during their most recent sexual act. Females reported older partners at first sexual act.
The full text (6 pages, 249 KB) is available online.
13. Young clients of hotel-based sex workers in Bangladesh: vulnerability to HIV, risk perceptions, and expressed needs for interventions. Gazi R, Khan SI, Haseen F, et al. Int J Sex Health 2009;21(3):167–82.
The authors conducted a qualitative study among key informants and 53 young clients (15 to 24 years of age) of commercial sex workers from nine hotels in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Respondents reported first sexual encounter before 18 years of age. Reasons for purchasing sex were to prove masculinity or to reduce wet dreams and masturbation, which they believed to be detrimental to health. Limited knowledge of HIV and sexually transmitted infections was linked to high-risk sexual practices. Condom use was related to perceptions of cleanliness, status, and trust in the sex worker. The authors conclude that a hotel-based, confidential intervention program promoting safe sex practices among clients of sex workers is warranted.
14. Young people's understanding of HIV: a qualitative study among school students in Mankweng, South Africa. Ragnarsson A, Onya HE, Aaro LE. Scand J Public Health 2009;37(Suppl 2):101–6.
This article describes young people's interpretation of HIV, AIDS, and sexually transmitted infections in a rural South African community in Mankweng, Limpopo Province. The study was based on 19 focus group discussions with adolescents ages 12–14 years. Participants had limited knowledge about HIV from a biomedical perspective. Their understanding and interpretations of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections were largely informed by traditional and religious belief systems that explain how and why people contract an illness via sexual intercourse. Based on these interpretations, they also expressed distrust toward the medical health system, and where to go for care, support, and treatment. Local traditional healers were often mentioned as the only people who could cure several of the sexually transmitted infections described by our informants. The authors emphasize the importance of exploring traditional and religious belief systems and taking these into account when planning and designing behavior change interventions.
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