Young peoples’ health has become a subject of increasing importance in Tanzania, both
because of a better understanding of the importance of this age group to public health and because the changing conditions with changing patterns of behaviour have increased health hazards for young people. This is especially true with regard to sexual and reproductive health.
Unprotected premarital sexual relations among youth are taking place at earlier age giving rise to early pregnancy and childbearing, induced abortions in hazardous circumstances, sexually transmitted diseases and the scourge of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) leading to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
AIDS has already shown its impact on the individual, the family, the community and society in general. The multifaceted nature of the effects of HIV/AIDS have encroached on domains other than the health sector, where everyone is obliged to deal with issues of
HIV/AIDS/STIs prevention and control. HIV/AIDS/STIs prevention and control has involved several actors and even within the Education Sector has become multisectoral in its approach. It is for the purposes of standardizing the approaches to HIV/AIDS/STIs and life skills education on schools that these guidelines have become a necessity.
The guidelines are intended to streamline the responses, efforts and the action of the education sector against HIV/AIDS/STIs among young people in schools. The guidelines are to be used by all actors who are collaborating in the efforts to provide this kind of education to school youth. It is hoped that the use of these guidelines will reduce the extent of the transmission of HIV/STIs in the schools, teachers colleges and the public in general.