The "Education Vaccination": a Proven HIV Prevention Method for Girls

Washington, DC - September 5, 2006

Girls’ education deserves more investment and a higher profile in HIV prevention. According to a recent report by ActionAid, girls with a secondary level education or higher are much less at risk for contracting HIV. They are more likely to wait longer before having sex and to use a condom when they do. In light of the recent feminization of AIDS in Africa—where, according to this report, females make up 74% of young people aged 15-24 living with HIV or AIDS—education and access to condoms and contraceptives are crucial to young women at risk of HIV and unintended pregnancy. PAI couldn’t agree more: Educating girls is central to empowering women, improving family well-being, and achieving sustainable development the world over.

This analysis of over 600 pieces of research reinforces evidence that removing barriers to girls’ school attendance, offering comprehensive sex education, and making condoms more available to young people are key to preventing the spread of HIV. Ironically, a major obstacle to these strategies is U.S. policy. Under PEPFAR, in-school youth receive only abstinence-until-marriage messages, and condoms are available only to “high-risk” groups such as out-of-school youth, commercial sex workers, truck drivers, and injection drug users.

With education emerging as an “evidence-based prevention” method, it is imperative to utilize it to help stem the AIDS epidemic.

Population Action International (PAI) works to improve individual well-being and preserve global resources by mobilizing political and financial support for population, family planning and reproductive health policies and programs.