Vulnerability of Youth
Traditionally, youth and women are put in economically dependent roles. When women and children lose their husbands and parents, they also lose financial security. People are vulnerable to HIV infection when poverty forces them to choose between day-to-day survival and safe behavior. The rate of infection for females doubles in situations of cross-generational sex and prostitution.
Sexual education and independence is kept from youth and women because there is an expectation of innocence. Ultimately, this ignorance leaves them unprepared to make safe decisions regarding sex.
TAYL’s programs, from Behavior Change Communication to apprenticeships and skill building, address these causes of vulnerability directly and have positive, sustainable results.
