Abstract

PIP: This paper reviews the available literature on the risk factors for HIV/AIDS in young people 13-19 years of age and the impact of various preventive strategies. At highest risk of HIV infection are young people who engage in unprotected sexual intercourse, use drugs, live at the margins of mainstream society, are detained in institutional settings, or are members of migrant groups. There is a dearth of rigorous evaluation studies testing program impact on young people's high-risk behaviors. However, the most effective HIV/AIDS prevention programs appear to be those that focus narrowly on reducing sexual risk-taking behaviors through active learning methods (role plays, small group discussions, peer educators) aimed at personalizing the information. As long as the program remains focused, the integration of pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease prevention is advantageous. An important program component is the provision of access to resources or services such as comprehensive health and mental health care, legal aid, vocational and educational counseling, and recreational opportunities. Promising interventions now need to be tested in properly designed and executed randomized controlled trials with long-term follow up to document their effectiveness in changing young people's sexual and other risk behaviors.