Title: Peer Educators on Promoting HIV/AIDS Awarenes Location: Categories: Health Education
Status:
In Progress
Timeline:
June 29 08 to June 29 08
Description:
Evidence from peer education programmes indicates that giving young people access to accurate information, as well as the opportunity to discuss sexual and reproductive health issues, can bring about changes in behaviour which lead to risk reduction. Evaluations of various programmes show improvements in student attitudes and knowledge about abstinence and condom use, as well as behavioural changes including increased contraceptive use and decreased sexual activity.
Our main approach has been to conduct youth friendly HIV/AIDS awareness programs among adolescents in Afghanistan. We will introduce the concept of question banks in this project. This program allows youth and participants of this educational group to ask questions and receive answers about sexual issues anonymously. As a peer educator we can also conduct and initiate educational programs for other youths who need to receive accurate information in relation to HIV/AIDS factors. Simultaneously peer educators can share information and updates with each other through this project.
Background:
Adolescents in Afghanistan are a vulnerable group for HIV infection due to their lack of openness in talking about sex and HIV risk factors. Also, some of the existing programs intended to educate the youth are not youth friendly, thus discouraging adolescents from asking questions and dealing with sexual issues.
Objectives:
With the HIV/AIDS awareness programs we are observing some changes on the openness of young people to discuss sex and HIV/AIDS issues. Involvement of adolescents to educate other adolescents can lead to break down some of the existing barriers and taboos among them and will also increase level of HIV/AIDS awareness.
More, friendlier, easy to understand, creative awareness programs are needed to target the youth, especially in those settings where sexual education is still lacking in the schools in Afghanistan.
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