Population Council Research that makes a difference

This project, conducted with The AIDS Support Organization (TASO), was designed to increase understanding and awareness about the fertility desires of adolescents living with HIV and the implications for family planning and other sexual and reproductive health services in Uganda. Project activities included a diagnostic study followed by the development of an intervention for meeting young people’s needs within existing programs for HIV treatment, care, and support.

A survey of 732 perinatally infected HIV-positive adolescents showed that one-third were sexually active. The majority reported that they wanted children; 41 percent of sexually active girls had been pregnant, and three-fourths of them had kept the pregnancy to term. Only about 30 percent of those who had ever had sex reported using methods to protect themselves or their partners from infection or reinfection. While 65 percent of those surveyed said they were hopeful about the future, their fears revolve around HIV—revealing their serostatus or infecting someone else with HIV.

Study findings suggest a strong need to provide services, including reproductive health and nonjudgmental family planning services, to HIV-positive youth. Additionally, HIV-positive young people need support groups with strong leadership and links to community services. Additionally, they need programs to improve their life skills and help them make informed decisions about their health, education, and sexuality.