Notice from Straight Talk Foundation

HIV and AIDS continues to be one of the major Sexual and Reproductive Health issues facing young people in Uganda. The risk of HIV among young people is aggravated by the fact that most young people are having their sexual debut at an early age of 15 years and that teenage pregnancy is still disproportionately high at 25% in the Country (UDHS, 2016).

The young women aged 15 to 24 face higher risk than young men as HIV prevalence is almost four times higher among them than young men of the same age (MoH UPHIA, 2017). The risk of HIV among young people in Uganda is also heightened by Gender- Based Violence (including sexual abuse). Indeed, young Ugandan women who have experienced intimate partner violence are 50% more likely to have acquired HIV than women who had not experienced violence (UAC, 2015).

Yet the level of knowledge on HIV prevention and access to sexual educati on among young women and men in Uganda is still telling. In 2014, only 38.5% of young women and men aged 15-24 could correctly identify ways of preventing the sexual transmission of HIV and rejected major misconceptions about HIV transmission (UNAIDS, 2017).

As Uganda joins the rest of the world to commemorate World AIDS Day 2018, we must prioritize approaches that will help to get young people to know their HIV status and those found HIV positive to be initiated on treatment immediately.

It is on this basis that the Sexual Reproductive Health Alliance (SRHR) Uganda through its 8 members including; Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU), Reach A Hand Uganda (RAHU), Straight Talk Foundation (STF), Family Life Education Program (FLEP), Centre for Human Rights & Development (CEHURD), Uganda Network of Young People Living with HIV/AIDS (UNYPA), Restless Development Uganda (RD) and National Forum of People Living with HIV and AIDS Networks in Uganda (NAFOPHANU) have adopted a number of innovative approaches to mobilize, empower and link young people to HIV prevention services.

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