Nuffield Centre UK - UGANDA

HIV Prevention in Young Women through Straight Talk Foundation, Uganda

Developing HIV prevention in relation to young people must take into account gender inequality; but this can only be achieved with a more gendered approach that is inclusive of girls and young women, as well as boys and addresses power relations.

Young women in Uganda and many other countries are disempowered in a number of ways which increases their risk of HIV infection and this is not sufficiently addressed by current HIV prevention practice. In response to this need, COMDIS supported an innovative study with a small group of young women aged 15-19 years in Jinja district Eastern Uganda from July 2006 to August 2007.

The study demonstrated that young women, if given an opportunity, have much to contribute in terms of their viewpoints and experiences. However, accessing young women's voices may be difficult using conventional methods of research or programming. Policy makers and practitioners need to adopt a broad inequalities and empowerment approach to HIV prevention with young people. This will require changes to attitudes, programmes, and institutions. There is a need to be responsive to different ways of "speaking"; creating mechanisms to "hear" disempowered young women and respond to their situation; and mechanisms which acknowledge and address power relations in HIV prevention in relationships, schools, families and communities.

Based on these research results STF plans to develop specific strategies for gender sensitive HIV prevention in the next stage.