The role of HIV prevention projects in reducing youth vulnerability to HIV infections in Masasi district council

HIV prevention projects play a central role in fighting HIV/AIDS pandemic toward zero infection as part of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of 2030. Youth have been the target group in many efforts that address the spread of HIV. This study aimed at assessing the role of HIV prevention projects in reducing youth vulnerability to infections through examining youth awareness on the role of HIV prevention projects in reducing their vulnerability and evaluating the challenges of implementing youth targeted HIV prevention projects. This was a descriptive cross sectional study whereby data was collected through self-administered closed-ended questionnaire involving 236 youth aged between 15 – 24 years in and out of school in Majengo and Njenga Villages in Ndanda Ward, Masasi District Council of which UZIMA project is implemented. The study found that majority of the respondents 92.80% were reached and benefited by the project. While 86.4% said UZIMA project uses youth friendly approach about 80.5% of respondents said they were involved in some of the activities of the project. Of those benefited by the project 88.1% have good knowledge on HIV prevention strategies. However, only 38.8% knew their status by HIV test. Moreover, of those who benefited from the project and were sexually active about, 51.4% had multiple partners; and of them, about 53.50% never used condom. The study concluded that community based HIV prevention projects are effective in improving knowledge of youth toward HIV prevention strategies, However they still fail to address the long lasting challenges of building on improved knowledge into behaviour change. That is because despite having appropriate knowledge on HIV prevention in attribute to exposure to HIV prevention projects many young people still engage in risky behaviours which make them vulnerable to infections. The study recommended that implementing partners, donors and policy makers to start thinking on designing projects which would take vulnerability reduction to youth beyond knowledge improvement into changes in sexual practices.