Promoting abstinence is an important strategy that can help delay sexual activity, but complementary messages are needed for those who are sexually active.

The fact sheet presents the fact on HIV/AIDS among youth aged 13 to 24 in the United States and recommends effective strategies that may reduce sexual risk behaviours and prevent HIV and other STIs.

Technology resources increasingly link professionals working with reproductive health and HIV prevention programmes in developing countries. These same resources -- e-mail, CD-ROMs, listservs, the Internet, radio, and television -- hold great promise for reaching youth as well.

Summarizes a technical meeting to develop priorities for an operations research agenda to study effective behavior change strategies for HIV risk reduction, particularly those that focus on what have been called the "ABC" behaviors: abstinence or delaying sex, being faithful or partner