| |
| Knowledge |
- Lack of education from parents and teachers about the
facts of life increases vulnerability.
- Inaccurate or irrelevant information from a variety of
sources including from parents, peers or even the media.
- Lack of correlation between acquired knowledge and exercised
behavior.
- Lack of life-saving skills such as when and how to say
'No'.
|
| Sexual Activities |
- Youths are involved in a variety of sexual activities
and experimentations.
- Female youths are more susceptible to infections because:
- They may have relationships with older men who are already
experienced and exposed to multiple partners.
- They may be exposed to sexual violence.
- They may be forced into becoming sex workers.
|
| Condom Usage |
- Some youths do not know how or where to obtain condoms.
- Some youths are just plain shy about purchasing condoms.
- Difficulty in persuading partners to use condoms.
- Condoms are considered a hindrance to sexual pleasure.
- Condom-carrying females are stigmatized as being morally
corrupted.
|
| Fears regarding testing and treatment |
- Worries about test outcome.
- Apprehensive about confidentiality issues.
- Lack of financial resources.
- Inaccessible medical treatment.
|
| Marginalized Youth |
- The high infection rate among drug users is mainly due
to needle-sharing.
- Condom usage is also low among drug users.
- Youths from financially challenged backgrounds have little
access to education and medical treatment.
|
