HIV/AIDS Prevention Strategies in Uganda

ABSTRACT

"Uganda is at the forefront in initiating and implementing strategies for the prevention of HIV spread. this has contributed to the drop in national HIV prevalence from 14th in the early 90's to 8currently. The main preventive strategies have been general information of the public and use of male ; and currently female condoms. Abstteinism is advocated; especially among the youth; who are generally advised to wait ""a little longer"". Universal Primary Education (UPE); apart from educating children may have a trade-off of keeping them longer in school a time when children are not expected to be sexually active. Civil leaders especially religious leaders; community aunts; teachers and even politicians have contributed to educating the youth on sex and sexuality. Social networking has brought many youth face to face with the realities of HIV/AIDS - at funerals; sexual contacts of the deceased person may be stealthily pointed out. This may ""shock"" the youth into realities of HIV/AIDS. Openness in communicating with the youth has been an important factor in controlling the the spread of HIV. This is through School Health Programs; Billboards. Plays and Mass Communication. Billboards and Mass advertisements of condoms may embarrass some; but are important in getting the message across to the youth. This openness has often been criticised by ""upright"" elders; and some religious leaders who complain that often young children may be misinformed about and misunderstand various facts on sex and sexuality. Others feel that adolescents not ready for sex may decide to experiement from the messages they hear and see. However; as a common syaing goes; it is better to face the embarrassment of children learning about sex early; than to repeaddly look down into graves of ones' children; and raising orphaned grandchildren."