![]() While some young people preferred a private and personalized tool to self-assess HIV risk, other participants were skeptical about using internet tools to furnish personal and sensitive information such as HIV status. Only the user and the owner of the phone should know what the app is about”. He said: “ Yes when it appears on the home display, it shouldn’t have anything indicating what the app is about, it shouldn’t be obvious what the app is about. Refiloe, an 18-year-old male, suggested any “HIV risk calculator” must be discrete, to maintain confidentiality. Young people prefer a discrete and private means to assess their own risk for HIV. They agreed that an app design and logo must not depict anything related to HIV. In our study, “Developing a youth-friendly internet-enabled HIV Risk Calculator: preferences from young people aged 18-24 years, Soweto, South Africa” we held focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with a total of 40 young males and females aged 18-24 years. ![]() Imagine a completely free, completely confidential system that is always available to answer your questions and point out your risk. Young people in South Africa are among the groups at risk and in need of innovative and revolutionary methods. The 2019 international 9 th SA AIDS conference in Durban was themed Unprecedented innovations and technologies: HIV and change ( AVAC, 2019) and called for HIV prevention, treatment, care and management to become more robust, innovative and inclusive of all groups at risk of HIV infections. There is a need for HIV prevention methods that recognize diversity of young people’s sexualities and sexual preferences and the need for methods to tap into platforms that young people engage with in a non-intrusive way. If not, you are basically left to figure things out for yourself. It may be embarrassing but you may be lucky enough to have the kind of friends you can ask open honest questions to. We dare you to go and ask your mom about anal sex. According to a study by Mulaudzi et al: “Lack of confidentiality in accessing HIV prevention services due to long waiting queues, and sharing facilities with adults and other health care services hinder access to HIV prevention and health care services”. Who does that leave? Nobody will queue at a clinic to ask a nurse, and your local social worker is out of the question as well. ![]() ![]() Their parents and immediate family are immediately disqualified from being asked intimate questions like this. But, the options for the youth are really limited. Where are these young people getting the answers they need? The HIV prevalence rate amongst young people in Soweto is as high as between 4% and 35%. There are over 5.10 million South Africans with questions just like this (aged 18-34) in Gauteng alone. (2) What about anal sex with a condom? Can you even do that? He seems to think it would be safer that way – you can’t fall pregnant from anal sex, right? So that’s great! Also, your risk for HIV from anal sex must be lower as well, right? It just makes sense. Your boyfriend suggested that you try anal sex as a couple. Your parents probably don’t know that you are sexually active, they also don’t know about those shots you had with your friends at that party last weekend. Imagine that you are 22-years-old and living in Soweto. You know how it can be super awkward to chat to someone about sex related things? Well the team at the PHRU (Perinatal HIV Research Unit) at Wits University has fixed that. By Mamakiri Mulaudzi, Ebenneza Kofi Okyere-D, Peace Kiguwa, Janan J.
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