We focus on addressing HIV/AIDS in Uganda due to the urgent need for prevention services, especially among Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW).
In 2021, Uganda saw 54,000 new HIV infections, with two-thirds occurring in young people aged 15-24.
AGYW are particularly vulnerable due to societal inequalities, including difficulty negotiating safe sex and engaging in transactional sex, which is common among them, driven by factors like poverty and lack of opportunities. In the Lake Victoria Fishing Communities (FCs), where HIV prevalence is three times higher than the national rate, AGYW resort to sex work for income, facing disempowerment and heightened vulnerability to HIV.
Transactional sex often leads to violence and trauma, exacerbating HIV risk. Although the Government of Uganda (GoU) prioritizes HIV prevention in sex work, criminalization and stigma hinder AGYW from seeking preventive care, further marginalizing them. To combat this, a comprehensive, community-based approach is necessary, tailored to the needs of AGYW in adverse circumstances, including sex work, homelessness, and teen motherhood.
Our approach offers information, peer support and linkage to routine HIV testing, counseling, and biomedical prevention methods like PrEP and PEP, alongside social support and access to intersecting services such as legal aid and education.
Our Peer-led community initiatives play a crucial role in normalizing HIV prevention and service uptake among AGYW, empowering them to take control of their prevention strategies through behavior change communication and skills development.
However, such efforts are currently insufficient in FCs, highlighting the need for scaled-up interventions to effectively combat HIV in these communities.
Youthplus 