Adolescents and young people living with HIV have unique needs that paediatric and adult programmes are not designed to meet.
As they mature, they must learn not only about sex, but about how the virus will shape their future sexual behaviour.
They need complete and reliable information on maintaining their own health, disclosing their status and protecting the health of others.
They need to look for role models who can help them navigate life with safety and confidence.
And they must have community support, especially if they face stigma and discrimination.
“The world needs a cultural revolution when it comes to HIV. It is not business as usual anymore. We need to change.
While educating the family unit at their home is really effective, there are very few places adolescents can go and feel comfortable in getting education about the virus.
“Yes, condoms are important, but research shows that once young people get comfortable in having sex, they no longer use them,” says Dr Gabriel Anabwani, executive director of the Baylor Children’s Clinical Centre of Excellence in Botswana.
Since 2003, the Baylor International Paediatric Aids Initiative (BIPAI) has been sponsoring its Teen Club programme for adolescents and young people living with HIV. The project began in Uganda, in partnership with a local hospital, and has since spread to five other countries.
Today, with nearly 3 500 active members in Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Swaziland, Uganda and Tanzania, it is the world’s largest network of support groups for adolescents living with the virus, and serves as a model for similar groups worldwide.
Teen Club participants report growing better at handling their daily lives, getting along socially, performing academically, accepting their HIV status and adhering to their medications, among other improvements.
“Over the years, we have learnt a lot in the region. But exchanging information and learning from one another is something we all need to do if we are to get an HIV-free generation.
“Moving forward, we need to think out of the box. It will not be possible to take care of all these young people using our existing health systems,” he says.
This article forms part of a supplement paid for by Unicef. Contents and photographs were supplied and signed off by Unicef