Young people’s priorities in the AIDS response
Through the discussions in the Open Forums, young people identified three clear thematic priorities that span country borders: 1 | Dispel taboos surrounding sex and sexuality at the family and community levels, including in arenas such as schools, to ensure young people can gain access to information about their sexual and reproductive health and make informed decisions about their lives. 2 | Eliminate stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV and dispel myths about HIV and AIDS. 3 | Remove social and legal barriers that prevent young people, in particular young people among key populations at higher risk3, from accessing HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support services.
3 | Key populations at higher risk of HIV exposure and transmission are groups of people who are more likely to be exposed to HIV or to transmit it and whose engagement is critical to a successful HIV response. In all countries, key populations at higher risk include people living with HIV. In most settings, men who have sex with men, transgender people, people who inject drugs and sex workers and their clients are at higher risk of exposure to HIV than other groups (5). 6