HIV infection rates among young Kenyan women outnumber those of young men by nearly six to one. Younger adolescents (10-15 years old) get most of their information about sexuality from their peers, who need to be equipped with accurate information and skills in order to better carry out their communication role. The Kenya Girl Guides Association (KGGA) reaches over 100,000 school-going adolescents and has recently embarked on a "Peer Education on HIV and AIDS Prevention" program to equip girls and their peers with information and skills regarding HIV prevention and care. The program trains Guide Leaders who in turn train Girl Guides in their respective units. Girl Guides then share information on HIV and AIDS among themselves and with peers in their schools, churches, and neighborhoods. Currently 775 schools and 342,435 girls are participating in the program. In addition to its work in Kenya, the program has trained Girl Guides from 28 other African countries. Horizons evaluated the impact of this program in 57 primary schools in Rift Valley and Coast Provinces. The evaluation found that the Kenya Girl Guides Association's HIV/AIDS Peer Education Program had a positive impact on the Girl Guides' social well-being, support for gender equity, attitudes toward people living with HIV, and HIV-related knowledge. But the program would need to be strengthened to extend the program's positive results beyond the Girl Guides to their peers.
Horizons
2007
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IIEP
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