Summary

In this Study Session, you have learned that:

• HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, a virus that weakens the body's immune system. AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is a medical condition where one or more serious infections or cancers arising from the damage caused by HIV to the immune system have been diagnosed.
• The HIV virus can be transmitted through unprotected sexual intercourse with infected people, from mother to child during pregnancy, labour and delivery and postnatal, and through contact with infected blood or body fluid, tissue or organ.
• The most common STIs are gonorrhoea, chancroid, trichomoniasis, lymphogranuloma venerum, Chlamydial infection and syphilis.
• Most adolescents or youth often have multiple relationships, sexual intercourse with sex workers, and do not consistently use condoms. This is because they often lack basic information concerning their sexual health, including ignorance of the symptoms, transmission, and treatment of STIs.
• Adolescent and youths should have information about safer sex and be encouraged to delay sexual intercourse before marriage.
• Behaviour changes take time and don't always automatically follow awareness. Thus, it is important that you provide continuous support whenever you counsel young people who are already engaged in some form of risky behaviours to adopt healthy behaviours.