Advocates for Youth

2005

This 34-page paper represents a compilation of ten programmes that demonstrate their effectiveness in reducing behavioural risks for pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, among youth in developing countries. The report describes these youth as facing significant threats to their health and well-being as a reault of HIV/AIDS, high rates of STIs, and unintended pregnancies that may result in maternal morbidity and/or mortality. To that end, this paper is the result of a literature review of nearly 200 programmes in developing countries from which the ten programmes are highlighted as showing the successful impact on sexual behaviours and/or on sexual health outcomes.

Each of the ten programmes were implemented within developing countries, most in sub-Saharan Africa, one in eastern Asia, and one in Latin America. Each programme includes information about abstinence and the use of contraception and condoms. The programmes actively involved youth and offered them information surrounding community-wide support for making healthy decisions about sex. Eight of the ten programmes are described as offering some kind of health services as well as referral to services. Six of them are described as including mass media strategies that reinforce sexual health messages and encourage youth to make healthy decisions about sex.

In the case of Nigerian adolescents, they are recognised as showing reluctance to seek medical treatment for STI symptoms and, when seeking treatment, often seek assistance from informal sector providers such as traditional healers, pharmacists, and laboratory technicians.

At the end of the evaluations a number of overlapping conclusions resulted: increased communication with parents and other adults about sexual health; delayed initiation of sexual intercourse; increased abstinence among sexually experienced youth; reduced number of sex partners; and an increased use of condoms.

According to the paper, these programmes underscore the importance of funding to support short- and long-term evaluations to determine behavioural and health outcomes of community-driven programmes to improve adolescent sexual health. The paper's conclusion, in part, is that in spite of a significant amount of worldwide research changes in knowledge and attitudes alone do not necessarily result in behaviour change.