Increasing Access to Services
Gaps in Research
- 1.
- Interventions are needed to increase community involvement and investment in programs that promote the introduction and utilization of youth-friendly services.
- 2.
- Laws and practices that obstruct adolescents’ access to services, such as parental consent requirements, age, and marital status requirements, must be reviewed and revised.
- 3.
- Adolescents who acquired HIV through perinatal transmission need information and services through adolescent-friendly HIV and family planning services.
- 4.
- Actions are needed to increase young people’s knowledge of when and where to access health services.
1. Interventions are needed to increase community involvement and investment in programs that promote the introduction and utilization of youth-friendly services. A literature review found that in order to increase utilization of youth friendly services, efforts to change community attitudes on adolescent sexuality were needed.
Gap noted, for example, in a literature review of youth-friendly service programs.
Speizer, I., R. Magnani and C. Colvin. 2003. “The Effectiveness of Adolescent Reproductive Health Interventions in Developing Countries: A Review of the Evidence.” Journal of Adolescent Health 33: 324-348.
2. Laws and practices that obstruct adolescents’ access to services, such as parental consent requirements, age, and marital status requirements, must be reviewed and revised. Studies found that legal requirements restricted adolescents from getting tested for HIV even if they were sexually active and at risk for HIV.
Gap noted, for example, in Democratic Republic of Congo (Muyisa et al., 2008); India, Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe (McCauley, 2004) and South Africa (HRW, 2003a).
Muyisa, B., G. Kambale, D. Baabo, A. Gashinge, A. Talibo, F. Jacquet and S. Zompi. 2008. “HIV Prevention for Youth and Adolescents in Goma (DRC) – Medecins du Monde – France (MDM-F) Holistic Approach.” Abstract WEPE0529. XVII International AIDS Conference. Mexico City, Mexico. August 3-8.
3. Adolescents who acquired HIV through perinatal transmission need information and services through adolescent-friendly HIV and family planning services. Studies found that health providers were unprepared to discuss HIV and contraception with adolescents who acquired HIV through perinatal transmission, despite the fact that significant numbers of these adolescents were already sexually active.
Gap noted, for example, in Uganda and Kenya (Birungi et al., 2009a,b,c) and Uganda (Nyombi et al., 2008).
Birungi, H., F. Obare, J. Mugisha, H. Evelia and J. Nyombi. 2009a. “Preventive Service Needs of Young People Perinatally Infected with HIV in Uganda.” AIDS Care21 (6): 725-731.
4. Actions are needed to increase young people’s knowledge of when and where to access health services. A UNESCO review found that young people lacked knowledge of where to access health services to meet their needs.
Gap noted in numerous countries.
UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). 2009. International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education: An Evidence-informed Approach for Schools, Teachers and Health Educators. Volume 1: The Rationale for Sexuality Education. Paris, France. www.unesco.org/aids