Do young Tanzanians have HIV/AIDS prevention strategies? Steering an AIDS-free Course: Successful Strategies for Young Men and Women in Tanzania e-poster CDC 0646 Do young Tanzanians have HIV/AIDS prevention strategies? Laurie Lynn Kelly Department of Social Sciences, University of Hull, UK laurielynnkelly@yahoo.co.uk Background Some people may have better HIV/AIDS prevention strategies than others. This research with young people in Tanzania explores: Do young people have existing prevention strategies? What are they? How might awareness and understanding of strategies help young people to avoid contracting and transmitting HIV/AIDS? The coloured panels show six write and draw exercises with responses to the question, ‘What is your HIV/AIDS prevention strategy?’ The writing is translated from Swahili. My strategy to protect myself from HIV is to take part in sports. This strategy helps to remove the state of little thoughts about the whole question of making love…. Therefore this strategy helps a great deal to reduce the longing of wanting to participate in temptations that can take me to… that can lead me to concern myself with questions of love affairs. Male student, age 14 Let me tell you, friend. Shedi told me that he loves me and I have refused him. Really you have refused him because he can infect you with a disease. Do not let someone cheat you with money or in any other way. Methodology 211 young people aged 9-19 took part in focus groups, interviews, questionnaires and write-and-draw exercises. The young people participated in five locations in Tanzania. Students and non-students participated as did ‘street children’ and young people from families with people living with HIV/AIDS. Research Assistants Charlene Bumpas and Paulo Ngonyani led the focus groups and interviews. They wrote the initial transcripts and supported the translation process. Do not let someone deceive you with sodas or money or anything, nor a house. Avoid staying in the back streets at night. Female student, age 14 Results Most young people did communicate their personal HIV/AIDS prevention strategies. Strategies ranged from simple statements of intent to complex approaches to the young people’s current and predicted future lives. Some young people only discussed HIV/AIDS prevention in terms of refraining from sex. For example, many young females’ strategies were about avoiding unwanted sex. Not all young people discussed preventing HIV/AIDS in the context of a sexual relationship. Often young people focussed, sometimes exclusively, on not sharing ‘sharp things’ such as needles or razor blades used for cutting nails. Many of the young people associated HIV/AIDS prevention with living a good life. * Do not use one needle for many people. * Use a condom every time you have sex. - Male, in-school, age 16 If you are infected it is not the end of your life, so you must use protection when you have sex with the person you love. - Female student, age 14 This is Father who has HIV/AIDS (or ‘This is a man who has HIV/AIDS’) This is Mother who has HIV/AIDS (or ‘This is a woman who has HIV/AIDS’) HIV/AIDS is a bad thing. - Male, ‘street child’, age 14 LET US AVOID THE DANGER OF HIV/AIDS I ask Tanzania that we may test in order to take care of ourselves with this disease of HIV/AIDS and to know our health so that we can go to the doctors for truthful advice. I ask people who are sick with HIV/AIDS and who have been tested to advise even their young friends to test so that they may know their health. - Female student, age 11 Conclusions Most of the young people in this study did have personal HIV/AIDS prevention strategies. Young people encouraged to write, draw, discuss, develop, strengthen and share their personal prevention strategies may be better equipped and motivated to prevent the contraction and transmission of HIV/AIDS. An awareness of personal prevention strategies provides educators and policy makers with an additional and powerful tool for HIV/AIDS prevention.