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ESCAP HRD Course on Psychosocial and Medical Services: Focus on HIV/AIDSThe 1998 UNAIDS Report on the Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic revealed that an estimated 7 million people were living with HIV/AIDS in the Asia-Pacific region in 1998. The highest incidence was reported in India, followed by Thailand, Myanmar, China, Cambodia and Viet Nam consecutively. As more than half of all new HIV/AIDS infections occur in youth, the United Nations community has made young people the focus of their prevention and care strategies. In 1998 the theme of the World AIDS Campaigns was "Force for Change: World AIDS Campaign with Young People" while the 1999 campaign carries the message "Listen, Learn, Live! World AIDS Campaign with Children and Young People". ESCAP maintains the focus on young people in its project to address the health needs of sexually abused and sexually exploited children and youth in Asia. Research conducted in 12 countries under the project has shown a high incidence of HIV/AIDS infection among sexually exploited children due to unprotected sex with customers resulting from ignorance or lack of control. Awareness about HIV/AIDS prevention and access to condoms is still low and many sexually exploited children and youth, that try to negotiate condom use, suffer from violence or loss of income. Untreated STDs were also common in sexually exploited youth, thus making them vulnerable to HIV/AIDS infection. Although systematic data is still rare and difficult to obtain regarding the incidence of HIV/AIDS among sexually abused children and youth, it is known that damage to the genital tract, which is often an outcome of sexual abuse, increases the risk of HIV infection. Moreover, a clear link has been made in the ESCAP research between sexual abuse and sexual exploitation in that the former is often a precursor to the latter. Many girls who have been sexually abused see no other options but to engage in commercial sex, due to a commonly held belief in the region that non-virgin single women are outcasts and unfit for marriage. ESCAP's research revealed that the health and social systems in most Asian countries are currently ill-equipped to address the physical and psychosocial needs of sexually abused and exploited children and youth, although the needs are great. Services for such youth who are livingwith HIV/AIDS are rarer still, and discrimination by families and communities is still wide-spread. The successful prevention, rehabilitation and reintegration of sexually abused and sexually exploited children and youth, living with and vulnerable to contracting HIV/AIDS, rely on competent and skilled social and health personnel. ESCAP plans to strengthen its curriculum of the ESCAP HRD Course on Psychosocial and Medical Services for Sexually Abused and Sexually Exploited Children and Youth, through theaddition of a module on HIV/AIDS. This module would enhance the awareness of social service and health personnel on best practices for HIV/AIDS prevention among sexually abused and sexually exploited children and youth; and equip them with the skills and tools necessary to address the physical and psychosocial health needs of sexually abused and sexually exploited children and youth living with HIV/AIDS and their families. The Course will be launched in 2000. |