Chikovore Jeremiah, Nystrom Lennarth, Lindmark Gunilla, Ahlberg Beth Maina
Senior Research Specialist, Child, Youth, Family and Social Development, Human Sciences Research Council, Intuthuko Junction, 750 Francois Road, Cato Manor, Durban 4001, South Africa.
Afr J AIDS Res. 2010 Apr 8;8(4):503-513. doi: 10.2989/AJAR.2009.8.4.14.1051.
Concerns regarding HIV and AIDS were elicited from 546 school youth (51% female, age range 9-25 years) in a Zimbabwean rural district, through a self-generated question writing process. Concerns emerged around how to avoid infection at a time when they were undergoing secondary sexual development, had growing feelings for love and were even engaging in sexual activity, but had limited access to preventive methods due to denial by the adult world. Fears were expressed regarding how to tell one's HIV status, even just after sex. HIV and AIDS were visualised in terms of suffering, loneliness, quarantine and death. The youth stressed they would have difficulties communicating with other people should they suspect or find they are infected with HIV, as this would imply they had been sexually active. They seemed to have knowledge around HIV and AIDS that either was incomplete, or they could not apply given a context of silence and denial around their sexuality. Some of the knowledge was coloured with misconceptions, suggesting contradictory information from multiple sources. After more than two decades, the scenario portrayed raises questions about interventions targeting young people. The question is why is their situation in this state when several stakeholders are actively participating in debates and interventions around their well-being? Campaigns and interventions may need to consider young people's complex social contexts, the factors generating and sustaining their situation, and what role diverse actors and social change processes play in this.
通过一个自主提问的过程，在津巴布韦一个农村地区对546名在校青年（51%为女性，年龄在9至25岁之间）进行了关于艾滋病毒和艾滋病问题的调查。这些青年正处于青春期性发育阶段，对爱情的感受日益强烈，甚至已经开始有性行为，但由于成人世界的拒绝，他们获得预防方法的机会有限，因此他们的担忧主要围绕如何避免感染。他们还担心如何得知自己的艾滋病毒感染状况，哪怕只是在性行为之后。艾滋病毒和艾滋病被视为痛苦、孤独、隔离和死亡。这些青年强调，如果怀疑或发现自己感染了艾滋病毒，他们在与他人交流时会遇到困难，因为这意味着他们有过性活动。他们似乎对艾滋病毒和艾滋病有所了解，但要么知识不完整，要么在性方面保持沉默和被否认的背景下无法应用这些知识。其中一些知识还存在误解，这表明来自多个来源的信息相互矛盾。二十多年过去了，所描述的这种情况引发了关于针对年轻人的干预措施的问题。问题是，当多个利益相关者积极参与围绕他们福祉的辩论和干预时，他们的状况为何如此？宣传活动和干预措施可能需要考虑年轻人复杂的社会背景、导致并维持他们现状的因素，以及不同行为者和社会变革过程在其中所起的作用。
