Joel M, Chukwuemeka A, Amusa B, Klindera K; International Conference on AIDS (15th : 2004 : Bangkok, Thailand).
Int Conf AIDS. 2004 Jul 11-16; 15: abstract no. TuPeD5111.
Youth Action Rangers of Nigeria, Lagos, Nigeria
Issues: Sexually active youth in Nigeria are at high-risk related to HIV infection. With a national HIV sero-prevalence of approximately 5.6%, initiatives to focus on quality HIV voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) services that are linked to quality youth-friendly services are crucial to slow the spread of the virus. Too often, however, youth are encouraged to be tested only to be inhibited by VCT services staffed by health care professionals who have moralistic attitudes regarding sexually active youth. Description: Under the auspicious of Advocates for Youth's YouthLIFE Initiative, the Youth Action Rangers of Nigeria (YARN) conducted "mystery client" research of VCT centres in Lagos, Nigeria - assessing youth-friendliness. With the expertise of a young medical professional, the study was designed, developed, implemented and analyzed by young people themselves. After reviewing WHO standards on youth-friendly services, the young researchers themselves developed a checklist of components of youth-friendly services. With the checklist, the young researchers were trained to pose as mystery clients seeking HIV antibody testing in approximately 15 centres in Lagos. Following the tests and follow-up post counselling sessions, the young researchers were interviewed by the medical professional and a YARN programme officer on VCT to ascertain results. Lessons learnt/Recommendations: YARN researchers discovered most Lagos-based VCT centres were not youth-friendly. Most notably, staff attitudes were moralistic, and were not as open and friendly as they could have been to youth. Issues of transportation to the centres, hours of operation, assurances of confidentiality, were also some of the inhibitors to youth-friendly services. In turn, the youth researches conducted informal interviews and focus groups of their peers to ascertain what would help make these centres mores youth-friendly. YARN is currently using these findings to work with the VCT centres to make their services more youth-friendly.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
- Adolescent
- Adolescent Health Services
- Behavior
- Counseling
- Focus Groups
- HIV Infections
- Health Behavior
- Humans
- Interviews as Topic
- Nigeria
- Research Design
- Sexual Behavior
Other ID:
UI: 102282918
From Meeting Abstracts