New initiative to help keep young women free from HIV

AS SOUTH Africa commemorates Youth Month, the various challenges that young people have to face cannot be ignored.

In addition to unemployment and gender-based violence, one of the major challenges faced by young people, particularly young women between the ages of 15 and 24, is the risk of contracting HIV.

Studies show that four decades after HIV was first identified, adolescent girls and young women in the age group 15 to 24, continue to account for almost a quarter of all new HIV infections in South Africa.

Put differently, this is approximately 180 new daily infections in this age group. An article published in The Lancet offers some answers, suggesting that adolescent girls and young women in this age group are generally infected by HIV-positive men in their late 20s and early 30s, who are often unaware that they have HIV.

Shout-It-Now, a South African nonprofit company, is part of the solution – it brings its free, mobile, youthfriendly medical and behavioural HIV prevention, GBV, and sexual and reproductive health services, particularly to young girls and women in the age group 15-24, to communities in Gauteng and the North West.

Dr Albert Machinda, chief operating officer at Shout-It-Now said, “Knowing what we now know about HIV infections in young girls and women and the relationship between GBV, we know that the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis can go a long way towards protecting them from contracting HIV.

“We know that due to structural socio-economic inequalities, young girls and women are not always in a position to negotiate safe sexual relationships.

“The Desmond Tutu HIV Centre and the University of California have found that when young women disclose their use of pre-exposure prophylaxis to loved ones, the attitudes and perceptions they may face can impact negatively on its continued use.

“This means they are at increased risk of HIV infection which could be prevented by the daily use of a single pill.

“We, therefore, call on families, loved ones, teachers, pastors and mentors to be supportive too, and to actually encourage young people, and women, in particular, to use pre-exposure prophylaxis.

The consequences of not using pre-exposure prophylaxis can last a lifetime,” said Dr Machinda.

Shout-It-Now is also able to offer, among other services, on-site pre-exposure prophylaxis initiation to at-risk adolescent girls and young women in the communities in which it works. It is important to note that youth need to be 15 years or older to be eligible to access pre-exposure prophylaxis, he added.

“We prioritise the psychological and emotional safety of those who require our support and therefore recruit skilled professionals from the communities in which we work to be part of our teams. We can offer services that are culturally and linguistically appropriate.”