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<DIV>Hi Betty,</DIV>
<DIV>Good evening Betty this is Joshua Komakech from Gulu District Forum of people living with HIV and AIDS Network.Here is my personal contibution for the newsletter; it is based on scalling up HIV prevention <FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">programs among youth in Northern Uganda- Practical. </FONT></FONT><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Approaches that have been ear marked by Komakech Joshua to be useful for prevention of HIV and AIDS.</FONT></FONT></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><B><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Scaling up HIV prevention programs among youth in Northern Uganda- Practical <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></B></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><B><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Approaches that have been ear marked by Komakech Joshua to be useful for prevention of HIV and AIDS<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></B></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><B><U><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">GAPS/CHALLENGES<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></U></B></DIV>
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<LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Unclear messages on prevention of HIV and other STDS for youth i..e.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>condom use where by certain groups like youth in school are denied information on condom use not even higher/ secondary schools.(Policy gap)</FONT></LI>
<LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Circumcision also caused confusion for the youth since females are left without alternative </FONT></LI>
<LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Stigma is high among youth, fear surrounding disclosure and the silence about HIV status leading to further spread</FONT></LI>
<LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Negative attitude among the young positive 13 to 17 years about their HIV positive status causing the desire to enjoy sooner since to them life is thought to be shorter with HIV among young people</FONT></LI>
<LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Limited life skills education among youth out of school</FONT></LI>
<LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Limited awareness about infection among the young group like ages 10 to 15. Many youth are getting HIV infection through thinking that the age group mentioned is free from HIV un aware that they could have been infected even at birth</FONT></LI>
<LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>High levels of vulnerability to defilement and sexual exploitation of the youth by older population most especially for the girls</FONT></LI>
<LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Limited youth friendly service centers in community hence many youth find it un appealing to move back from camps to their original villages with fear of missing the camp based and town based services.</FONT></LI></OL>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><B><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Suggested Strategies<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></B></DIV>
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<LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Provide clear alternative means of protection for the youth i.e. condom use, abstaining and faithfulness if married through dialogue in youth forums</FONT></LI>
<LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Anti stigma messages printed on materials that attract attention of youth like capes, handkerchiefs, bungles, budges, internet, magazines and T. shirts for distribution to the youth to help them live open lives</FONT></LI>
<LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Assisting the young HIV positive group to live positively through life skill education and continuous counseling of both the children and their parents</FONT></LI>
<LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>More out reaches to schools to provide information on HIV and AIDS especially how one could get infected even at birth through reading materials and related story telling without the assumption that all of them already have the information</FONT></LI>
<LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Support the youth to be assertive through life skill education and sensitization on rights of women and children to reduce sexual exploitation and defilement</FONT></LI>
<LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Support creation of youth corners within community based health facilities to help youth to freely seek for medical services and support the existing community based youth centers to assist in providing meaningful psychosocial support<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>with other materials like video sets, playing kits, readable like straight talk, young talk, condoms, art and craft materials </FONT></LI>
<LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Supporting youth to know their HIV status before engaging in sexual practices/ relationships through mobilization and advocating for availability of the services</FONT></LI></OL>
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