The HIV Counseling and Testing for Youth manual is now available! This HIV counseling and testing manual is designed for service providers and counselors working with youth. Approximately one-third of clients who seek HIV testing are youth, and these young people often have different needs than do adults.
Many approaches to HIV prevention and care require that people know their HIV status. High-quality VCT enables and encourages people to access appropriate care services and is an effective HIV prevention strategy. In addition, VCT can provide a gateway to other reproductive health services that many youth need, including contraception. Many young people desire VCT services, but they are limited and involve many questions.
Program planners face complex questions regarding VCT for youth. Rapid, on-site testing and a recognized need for more testing is helping to drive the development of more services. Policies and support services are needed, along with adequate training for counselors who work with young people, and youth-friendly services. For a summary of these and other issues, see
YouthLens Number 3, HIV: Voluntary Counseling and Testing (PDF 64K). Other resources are below.
Young people should be stakeholders in youth-friendly VCT services, rather than only recipients. They should help plan, implement, and evaluate services in the following ways:
- Serving as HIV-positive speakers
- Participating in community mobilization
- Leading post-test clubs and other support groups
- Participating in service planning and design teams
Resources
VCT and Young People: A summary overview
This pdf (990kb) document is a guide providing information on voluntary counseling and testing as it relates to youth on various levels. Included are barriers to youths' access, eight case studies, models of services, issues to consider when implementing, and more. June 2002
Voluntary Counseling and Testing: a gateway to prevention and care
From the UNAIDS Best Collection, this pdf (1.2mb) documents five case studies related to the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV, tuberculosis, young people, and reaching general population groups. June 2002
