Campaign moves to prevent HIV among youth

The shift in focus comes at a time when HIV rates among young people seem to have turned the corner and have started to come down. At the same time, the sharp rise in HIV infection among 18 – 21 year olds continues to drive the epidemic, with one in four young women in South Africa HIV positive by her 21st birthday.

“Make YOUR Move” aims to mobilise young South Africans to take control of their future, by identifying and seizing opportunities – no matter how small.

Says loveLife CEO Dr David Harrison, “Young people have got the message about HIV/Aids. What's impeding further progress is not their response to the message, but response to their circumstances. Young people whose life choices are constrained and who constantly feel isolated are at much higher risk for HIV infection. ‘Make YOUR Move' aims to help them make decisions that will enhance their prospects day-by-day and help protect their future”.

The “Make YOUR move” campaign will cultivate a look-for-opportunity mindset – encouraging young people to think outside the limits of the their immediate environment; promoting personal initiative, motivation and responsibility; building their ability to navigate day-to-day pressures and expectations; and linking them to information about new prospects for further education, personal development, careers and jobs.

As part of an expanded offering, loveLife will continue to provide its healthy sexuality programmes to younger adolescents in particular.

TV and print campaign

This new approach kicked off with a high-intensity television and print campaign – initially seeking to position ‘Make YOUR move' as part of the national lexicon. The second phase will engage young people, in frank discussion about their personal expectations and the role of personal initiative and responsibility in shaping their life opportunities.

The third phase will develop a ‘life navigator'- a motivational and personal skills development tool designed to help identify and link to opportunities for personal development. loveLife has teamed up with the South African Institute of Entrepreneurship and JumpStart in the development of this tool.

Over the next year loveLife will integrate this new approach across all its platforms, including in-class programmes in 3800 schools; the annual loveLife Games involving half a million participants in events across the country; and in partnership with loveLife's 130 community-based organisations.

loveLife's media campaign is supported by its tollfree helpline (0800 121 900) attracting over 150 000 callers a month, and face-to-face programmes reaching over 300 000 young people a month.