AIC, a stand alone VCT site, has delivered HIV testing since 1990. Although AIC served youth as well as adults who came in for services, it did not target youth specifically. In 2001, AIC established a youth corner behind the regular adult clinic with a separate gate so youth could enter in privacy. Staff at AIC developed a counseling training manual to train counselors to deliver youth-friendly VCT services. AIC also reduced the HIV testing fee from 4,000 (US$2.27) to 1,000 (US$0.58) Ugandan shillings for youth.

Open since 1995, NTIHC is a drop-in center that offers free reproductive health services to youth, including diagnosis and treatment of STIs, family planning, pregnancy testing and counseling, and antenatal and postnatal care. In 2002, NTIHC began offering VCT two days per week and expanded its facility to provide waiting and counseling space for youth seeking VCT. AIC provided initial technical and material support to NTIHC, including training peer counselors to do pre- and post-test counseling, orienting laboratory staff, implementing a client monitoring system, and supplying testing kits.

AIC developed a three-day training course for counselors at both sites on how to counsel youth within the context of VCT. Specific issues addressed by the training included mental and emotional development in adolescence, how to discuss puberty with youth, and pressures in the environment that affect youth decision-making.

The clinics initiated activities to inform young people about the new services through the media. Both clinics collaborated with the Straight Talk Foundation in designing promotional posters and brochures, and in writing articles for the popular and widely distributed youth magazine, "Straight Talk." In addition, radio programs for youth managed by both NTIHC and the Straight Talk Foundation featured discussions of the need and value of VCT and also explained the procedures that youth would encounter when they went to the clinics for testing.

See Also

• Population Council – HIV/AIDS
• Transitions to Adulthood

For additional information please contact: 
Horizons 
Population Council 
4301 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 280 
Washington, DC 20008
Telephone: +1 202 237 9400 
Facsimile: +1 202 237 8410 
E-mail: horizons@popcouncil.org