FHI 360 provides global technical leadership in addressing the critical reproductive health needs of youth, including HIV prevention, care, and treatment. We synthesize and disseminate the latest information on youth, identify and investigate key research issues, and promote innovative interventions. With partners that include the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Centers for Disease Control, and numerous other international and local stakeholders, FHI is spearheading major projects in Kenya, Tanzania, and Botswana, as well as important research and programs in many other African and Asian countries.
We are building on a long history of working with youth to address the disproportionate share of unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, sexual violence, and other serious reproductive health problems that youth face. Embracing youth as an asset rather than a liability, FHI 360 works to strengthen youth involvement in programs, to scale up activities based on the best evidence available, and to build sustainable organizations that can continue this work beyond short-term project funding. Below are some of our major youth activities currently under way.
Selected Materials
Evidence-Based Guidelines for Youth Peer Education (2010, 60 pages, 872 KB)
This document offers evidence-based guidelines on the planning, implementation, management, and evaluation of youth peer education (YPE) programs, and it provides suggestions on how to apply the guidelines. The guidelines refer to current research on peer education and provide real-world examples from YPE programs globally. When applied to a new or existing YPE program, the guidelines have the potential to improve the quality of the program and to signify to donors and others that the program is formed around evidence-based practices. The guidelines are relevant to policymakers, program managers, supervisors, trainers, and peer educators themselves.
Young People Most at Risk of HIV (2010, 100 pages, 1.3 MB)
This report calls attention to young people ages 10-24 within the populations considered most at risk of HIV infection: men who have sex with men, those who sell sex, and those who inject drugs. Despite the growing attention that has been given to programming for these groups, little explicit focus has been given to the needs of young people in these populations. At the same time, efforts to prevent HIV among young people have tended to focus on the general population. As a result, young people in most-at-risk groups are often not targeted in either type of programming. This report is based on the 2nd annual meeting of the IYWG in 2009, which focused on young people most at risk of HIV, and on additional material from literature reviews and field experiences. The paper concludes with suggested actions for addressing the needs of vulnerable and most-at-risk young people.
Youth InfoNet
This monthly e-newsletter is a one-stop source for new publications and information on youth reproductive health and HIV prevention.
YouthLens
This series of 4-page research briefs summarizes the latest information on key issues regarding reproductive health and HIV prevention among youth ages 10 to 24. The briefs are available in English, Spanish, and French.
Global Programs
Interagency Youth Working Group: FHI 360 functions as the secretariat for the USAID-supported Interagency Youth Working Group (IYWG). The working group provides global technical leadership to improve reproductive health and prevent HIV/AIDS among young people ages 10-24 in developing countries. Find out more about the IYWG's recent activities.
YouthNet: USAID funded FHI to guide this five-year global program to improve reproductive health and prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS among people 10 to 24 years old. The publications, tools, reports, and training materials produced by the program provide valuable resources for the field and are widely used worldwide.
Contraceptive and Reproductive Health Technologies Research and Utilization Program (CRTU): Supported by USAID/global, FHI worked to expand the range and support the use and availability of safe, effective, acceptable, and affordable technologies that prevent unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. Research on youth-related issues is a key strategy under the CRTU, and work includes a study on peer education among Kenyan college students, education and skills training for house-girls in Kenya, and a study on which approaches to integrating HIV and family planning services might be most effective.
Country Programs
SAMARTH Project (India): Begun in 2006, SAMARTH stands for Strengthen Abilities to Manage And Respond effectively To HIV/AIDS. Funded by USAID/India, the project is managed by FHI, working with several other partners. The overall goal is to improve the response of the government and civil society for evidence-based HIV policy and programs in India. SAMARTH includes four demonstration projects that include a focus on adolescents: CHELSEA WAG, Sahara MCH, Salaam Baalak Trust, and the YWCA. FHI has provided technical assistance to these projects since 2002.
UJANA (Tanzania): Funded by USAID/Tanzania, UJANA (Swahili for "youthfulness") works with influential adults and community members in Tanzania to help youth develop skills to abstain from or delay sex, remain faithful to one partner if engaged in a relationship, reduce their number of sex partners, or if appropriate, use condoms. UJANA focuses particularly on gender relations. It is building on lessons learned from FHI's YouthNet project to expand peer education and other activities. See the UJANA brochure (PDF, 1 MB) for more information.
Basha Lesedi (Botswana): The Basha Lesdi ("Youth are the Light") project, funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), focuses on youth ages 10 to 17 in Botswana. The project hopes to reach young people with HIV/AIDS prevention information and skills before they engage in risky behaviors, while also developing support from community stakeholders including faith-based groups.
AIDS, Population, and Health Integrated Assistance Program (APHIA II) (Kenya): FHI 360 is leading this USAID/Kenya-funded project in two parts of the country, Rift Valley and Coast Province. The program takes a family-centered approach that will help meet the prevention, care, and treatment needs of people living with AIDS, as well as support their family. The program includes a series of activities focused on youth, including peer education through Girl Guides.
"Meeting Adolescent Reproductive Health Needs" (Egypt): This project is a collaboration between the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Egyptian Family Planning Association (EFPA). FHI 360's role is to ensure the delivery of standardized high-quality services in youth-friendly clinics, working through the EFPA clinics. FHI 360 has designed interventions targeting health care providers and peers as well as monitoring and evaluation systems. These activities seek to build the capacity of the clinics to serve adolescents and to build and promote a referral network for adolescents' RH needs. Some of the tools used in this project are available here.
