1. Adolescence Education: Newsletter for Policy Makers, Programme Managers, and Practitioners Vol. 8, No. 1

2. Adolescents: Orphaned and Vulnerable in the Time of HIV/AIDS

3. Adolescents: Orphaned and Vulnerable in the Time of HIV and AIDS (companion brief)

4. Boys and Changing Gender Roles

5. Creating Youth-Friendly Pharmacies

6. Cultural Programming: Reproductive Health Challenges and Strategies in East and South-East Asia

7. Do Participatory Programs Work? Improving Reproductive Health for Disadvantaged Youth in Nepal

8. Early Marriage and Adolescent Girls

9. Ethical Approaches to Gathering Information from Children and Adolescents in International Settings: Guidelines and Resources

10. Integrating Adolescent Livelihood Activities Within a Reproductive Health Programme for Urban Slum Dwellers in India

11. Scaling Up Youth HIV/AIDS Prevention: The Experience of Pathfinder International and the Foundation for Community Development in Inhambane Province, Mozambique

12. Ten Essential Learning Points: Listen and Speak Out Against Sexual Abuse of Girls and Boys

13. Trends in the Timing of First Marriage Among Men and Women in the Developing World

14. Young People We Care! Making a Difference in Our Community

II. RESEARCH SUMMARIES

1. Awareness, attitude and practice of contraception among secondary school girls in Calabar, Nigeria

2. HIV/AIDS in South Africa: a study of the socio-educational development of adolescents orphaned by AIDS in child-headed households

3. HIV infection and reproductive health in teenage women orphaned and made vulnerable by AIDS in Zimbabwe

4. The MEMA kwa Vijana project: design of a community randomised trial of an innovative adolescent sexual health intervention in rural Tanzania

5. Protecting their adolescents from harm: parental views on STI vaccination

6. Rising incidence and prevalence of orphanhood in Manicaland, Zimbabwe, 1998 to 2003

7. Sexual behavior and contraceptive use among secondary school students in Ilesha South West Nigeria

8. Young people's sexual health in South Africa: HIV prevalence and sexual behaviors from a nationally representative household survey

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I. PROGRAM RESOURCES

1. Adolescence Education: Newsletter for Policy Makers, Programme Managers, and Practitioners Vol. 8, No. 1 (2005, PDF, 2 MB)

This bi-annual adolescent reproductive health newsletter includes information on best practices, regional news, national news, research briefs, and links to Web sites detailing HIV/AIDS communications, reducing reproductive health risks among adolescent refugees, and guides to HIV/AIDS programming.
Contact: arsh@unescobkk.org

2. Adolescents: Orphaned and Vulnerable in the Time of HIV/AIDS (2005)

This 30-page paper introduces the key issues affecting adolescents who are orphaned or vulnerable because of HIV/AIDS. Despite the fact that the majority of orphans are adolescents, most programs working with orphans do not focus on the particular needs of adolescents: secondary education or livelihood training, sexual and reproductive health education and services, psychosocial and social support for the difficult transition to adulthood, and adult mentors as role models. The paper includes analysis, program summaries, four case studies, and recommendations for action.
Contact: youthnetpubs@fhi.org

3. Adolescents: Orphaned and Vulnerable in the Time of HIV and AIDS (2005)

(This is a four-page companion brief to the Youth Issues Paper of the same title listed above.) Orphaned adolescents, the largest segment of all orphans, have needs that are often neglected by programs working with orphans and vulnerable children, including secondary education, livelihood training, and reproductive health education and services.
Contact: youthnetpubs@fhi.org

4. Boys and Changing Gender Roles (2005)

This four-page paper, part of the YouthLens series, reports that a growing number of projects recognize the importance of working with boys and young men to change gender norms and at the same time affect behaviors related to reproductive health and HIV/AIDS.
Contact: youthnetpubs@fhi.org

5. Creating Youth-Friendly Pharmacies (2005)

This four-page brief, part of the YouthLens series, concludes that youth prefer pharmacies for contraceptive services, but more training and other efforts are needed to expand youth-friendly pharmacies beyond pilot projects in selected countries.
Contact: youthnetpubs@fhi.org

6. Cultural Programming: Reproductive Health Challenges and Strategies in East and South-East Asia (2005, PDF, 641 KB)

This review of reproductive health programs and strategies in East and Southeast Asia addresses issues including gender equity, harmful beliefs and practices, and cultural barriers in provision of services. While the paper is not solely youth-focused, the implications of culture on youth reproductive health are thoroughly discussed.
Contact: arsh@unescobkk.org

7. Do Participatory Programs Work? Improving Reproductive Health for Disadvantaged Youth in Nepal (2005)

The lack of comprehensive evaluations of the effectiveness of participatory programs with disadvantaged Nepali youth is addressed in this paper. Results show that participatory activities were successful in reducing the gap in reproductive health outcomes between advantaged and disadvantaged youth. The authors concluded that small-scale community efforts can create change among disadvantaged youth.
Contact: devoutreach@worldbank.org

8. Early Marriage and Adolescent Girls (2005)

This four-page paper, part of the YouthLens series, concludes that girls at risk of child marriage and those already married experience greater disadvantages compared to unmarried girls or married young women, but most programs addressing adolescent reproductive health and HIV prevention have focused primarily on unmarried youth.
Contact: youthnetpubs@fhi.org

9. Ethical Approaches to Gathering Information from Children and Adolescents in International Settings: Guidelines and Resources (2005, PDF, 828 KB)

This manual provides practical guidance on the ethical concerns of collecting information from young people. Originally developed for use with young people affected by HIV/AIDS, the guidelines can also be applied to other sensitive situations including abuse, trafficking, or displacement.
Contact: horizons@pcdc.org

10. Integrating Adolescent Livelihood Activities Within a Reproductive Health Programme for Urban Slum Dwellers in India (2005, PDF, 330 KB)

This final report describes the results of a quasi-experimental study of the integration of livelihood skills training into an existing health education program for adolescent girls in low-income areas of Allahabad, India. Results indicate the girls in the experimental areas were more likely to score higher on the social skills index, know about reproductive health, and participate in leisure activities than the matched control respondents.
Contact: info@pcindia.org

11. Scaling Up Youth HIV/AIDS Prevention: The Experience of Pathfinder International and the Foundation for Community Development in Inhambane Province, Mozambique (2004, PDF, 1.9 MB)

This project report reviews the activities and achievements of Pathfinder International in scaling up a youth HIV prevention project to a new location in a relatively short period of time. Sections on context, the project management structure, and capacity building are included. Strategies (including use of peer education, behavior change communication, and capacity building) of this in- and out-of-school program are presented.
Contact: information@pathfind.org

12. Ten Essential Learning Points: Listen and Speak Out Against Sexual Abuse of Girls and Boys (2005, PDF, 2.5 MB)

This publication examines sexual abuse of youth around the world, including youth perspectives on abuse. Based on international data, topics include abuser accountability, root causes of abuse, the threat of HIV, and advocacy.
Contact: anne.birkeland@reddbarna.no

13. Trends in the Timing of First Marriage Among Men and Women in the Developing World (2005, PDF, 407 KB)

This working paper analyzes the recent trends in first marriage among both men and women in the developing world because of the close link between age of marriage and implications for family life and gender relationships. The authors found substantial declines in teenage marriage, particularly in Africa.
Contact: pubinfo@popcouncil.org

14. Young People We Care! Making a Difference in Our Community (2005, PDF, 4.1 MB)

The second edition of this manual is designed to encourage youth between the ages of 15 and 24 to support and become involved with younger children, peers, and adults who are living with HIV/AIDS in their communities. Groups interested in using this manual should have already received training in HIV/AIDS, peer education, life skills, and community outreach. The book aims to provide ideas and encouragement for young people to be active in their community, promote values to reduce HIV stigma and discrimination, and help people living with HIV to live better lives.
Contact: info@jsieurope.org

II. RESEARCH SUMMARIES

1. Awareness, attitude and practice of contraception among secondary school girls in Calabar, Nigeria. Bassey EA, Abasiattai AM, Asuquo EE, et al. Niger J Med 2005;14(2).
Researchers carried out this study to assess the awareness, attitude, and use of contraceptives among secondary school girls in Calabar, Nigeria. The researchers obtained data using self-administered, semi-structured questionnaires distributed to 480 secondary school girls, of which 450 questionnaires were properly filled and returned. Reported contraceptive awareness was high; the main sources of information were books/magazines (37 percent) and friends (26 percent). Three hundred and thirty-three girls (74 percent) reported a negative attitude (misconceptions) towards contraceptives, while 117 girls (26 percent) said contraceptives were essential or useful. Sixty-six girls (14.7 percent) admitted that they were currently sexually active and 42 (9.3 percent) of them used contraceptives.

2. HIV/AIDS in South Africa: a study of the socio-educational development of adolescents orphaned by AIDS in child-headed households. Hartell CG, Chabilall JA. Int J AdolescYouth 2005;12(3).
This article investigates the impact of HIV/AIDS upon the social and educational development of adolescent orphans due to AIDS who are living in child-headed households, in the rural areas of Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. Findings of the study revealed that HIV/AIDS has a negative impact on the social and educational development of adolescents orphaned by AIDS and living in child-headed households. Many adolescents are forced to abandon their schooling either temporarily or permanently because they have to take care of ailing parents and assume adult responsibilities in their homes. Further inhibiting factors on these adolescents' development are generated by abject poverty, social discrimination, and a lack of parental, social, and educational support.

3. HIV infection and reproductive health in teenage women orphaned and made vulnerable by AIDS in Zimbabwe. Gregson S, Nyamukapa CA, Garnett GP, et al. AIDS Care 2005;17(7).
Researchers investigated whether orphans have heightened risks of adverse reproductive health outcomes, including HIV infection. Data on HIV infection, sexually transmitted infection (STI) symptoms, pregnancy, and common risk factors were collected for orphans and non-orphans in a population survey of 1523 teenage children in eastern Zimbabwe between July 2001 and March 2003. Among women aged 15-18 years, orphans had higher HIV prevalence than non-orphans, more common experience of STI symptoms, and more teenage pregnancies. Orphans (all), maternal orphans, and young women with an infected parent were more likely to have received no secondary school education, to be sexually active, and to be married, which, in turn, were associated with poor reproductive health. Among men aged 17-18 years, orphan status was not associated with HIV infection or STI symptoms.

4. The MEMA kwa Vijana project: design of a community randomised trial of an innovative adolescent sexual health intervention in rural Tanzania. Hayes RJ, Changalucha J, Ross DA, et al. Contemp Clin Trials 2005;26(4).
This paper describes the rationale and design of a randomized trial of the impact of an innovative sexual health intervention among adolescents in rural Mwanza Region, Tanzania. The MEMA kwa Vijana intervention is a teacher-led, peer-assisted sexual health education program for students in the last three years of primary school, which works through the training and supervision of health workers in the provision of youth-friendly health services, peer condom promotion and distribution, and wider community activities. Detailed process evaluation was conducted and the impact of the intervention was evaluated through a community-randomized trial in which 9,645 adolescents were followed for three years. Results of the baseline survey of the cohort have been presented previously; the outcome of the trial will be reported separately.

5. Protecting their adolescents from harm: parental views on STI vaccination. Rosenthal SL. Journal of Adolescent Health 2005;37.
Vaccines can reduce the vulnerability of young people to STIs if they have a high uptake. Findings indicate that parental reactions may not be as negative to STI vaccinations as sometimes feared. Characteristics of parents who were favorable to STI vaccination for their adolescents included having a greater personal sense of vulnerability (e.g. having an STI history), being a mother, and attending public clinics. Possibly the most critical attitude affecting acceptability will be parents' attitudes toward vaccination in general.

6. Rising incidence and prevalence of orphanhood in Manicaland, Zimbabwe, 1998 to 2003. Watts H, Lopman B, Nyamukapa C, Gregson S. AIDS 2005;19(7).
In order to quantify and describe orphan incidence in Manicaland, eastern Zimbabwe, researchers analyzed data taken from household census on 13,740 and 10,308 children, aged 0-14 years. This data indicates that prevalence of all forms of orphanhood has increased. The overall rate of losing a parent among non-orphans was 27.5 per 1000 person-years (py). Paternal orphan incidence was higher than maternal orphan incidence, and maternal orphans lost their fathers at a faster rate than paternal orphans lost their mothers. Paternal and maternal orphan incidence increased with age. Incidence of maternal orphanhood and double orphanhood among paternal orphans rose at 20 percent per year and 71 percent per year, respectively, 1998-2003, but incidences of paternal orphanhood and double orphanhood among maternal orphans were unchanged. For 82 percent of children with a parent who died, the parent was HIV-positive at baseline. More new paternal and double orphans — but not new maternal orphans — than non-orphans had left their baseline household. Mortality was higher in orphans than non-orphans, with the highest death rates observed among maternal orphans.

7. Sexual behavior and contraceptive use among secondary school students in Ilesha South West Nigeria. Orji EO, Esimai OA. J Obstet Gynaecol 2005;25(3).
Data from several parts of Nigeria point to increasing sexual activity among single adolescents of both sexes with progressive decreasing age at initiation and poor contraceptive use. This is a cross-sectional population survey of 300 male and female secondary school students aged 13-19 years. The outcome measures include prevalence of sexual activity, age at first sexual debut, circumstances leading to first sexual debut, number of sexual partners, and family planning use. The result shows that out of the 300 studied, 50 percent of young people were sexually active, the predominant age at first coitus was 15-19 years, and circumstances leading to sexual debut included mutual agreement, coercion, and curiosity. Almost 87 percent of young people did not use contraception at the time of first sex and most of them had more than one sexual partner. Researchers conclude that 50 percent of teenage secondary school girls in this part of Nigeria are sexually active, 68.7 percent of whom have multiple sexual partners.

8. Young people's sexual health in South Africa: HIV prevalence and sexual behaviors from a nationally representative household survey. Pettifor AE, Rees HV, Kleinschmidt I, et al. AIDS 2005;19(14).
Researchers set out to determine the prevalence of HIV infection, HIV risk factors, and exposure to national HIV prevention programs, and to identify factors associated with HIV infection among South African youth, aged 15-24 years, through a cross-sectional, nationally representative, household survey of 11,904 young people. Results indicate that young women were significantly more likely to be infected with HIV in comparison with young men (15.5 versus 4.8 percent). Among men, a history of genital ulcers in the past 12 months was associated with HIV infection, whereas, among women, a history of unusual vaginal discharge in the past 12 months was associated with HIV infection. Young women with older partners were also at increased risk of HIV infection. Among both men and women, increasing partner numbers and inconsistent condom use were significantly associated with HIV infection. Males and females who reported participation in at least one loveLife program were less likely to be infected with HIV.