Engaging adolescent girls and young women in HIV prevention research
This two-part webinar series will highlight the key aspects related to the ethics of engaging adolescent girls and young women in HIV prevention research and sexual and reproductive health programming, and leverage insights from social and behavioural research to inform future design of engagement strategies for this group.
Converging social, cultural and economic factors affect the way in which adolescent girls and young women understand, negotiate and access information and biomedical treatment related to HIV. Persistent gender and age disparities and stigmas around female sexuality in this group reinforce such issues as poverty, lack of access to education (including sexual and reproductive health education), livelihood opportunities and financial autonomy. Furthermore, adolescent girls and young women also lack access to sexual and reproductive healthcare, as well as other healthcare services, and face the risk of violence, including intimate partner violence.
The disproportionate vulnerability of adolescent girls and young women to HIV calls for a greater understanding of how best to conduct research for and with this group and how to develop appropriate, effective and accessible prevention interventions. Progress in HIV prevention research, especially clinical trials among populations of adolescent girls and young women, is largely hindered by ethical requirements and the vulnerability associated with engaging this group.
Speakers and panellists:
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Chair: Ethel Makila, IAVI, Kenya
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Linda-Gail Bekker, IAS Past President and Director, Desmond Tutu Health Foundation, RSA
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Cathy Slack, Head of the HIV AIDS Vaccines Ethics Group, University of KwaZulu-Natal, RSA
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Renu Golwakar, Senior Director, Gender Youth and Social Inclusion, India
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Grace Munisi, Senior Technical Advisor, Gender Youth and Social Inclusion, Tanzania
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Doreen Moraa Moracha, Founder, I am a Beautiful Story, Kenya
The webinar concluded with Q&A.
Speakers and panellists:
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Chair: Devi Leena Bose, Senior Manager, IAVI, India
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Anabel Gomez, independent social behavior and change expert, US
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Francis Meyo, Vice-President – Programs, Busara, Kenya
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Uttara Bharath Kumar, Senior Technical Advisor, SBC and Capacity Strengthening, Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, India
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Yvonne Wangũi Machira, Director, Socio-Behavioral Research, IAVI, Kenya
The webinar concluded with Q&A.