Archive for: Technical Guide

The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief’s (PEPFAR’s) Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) Technical Working Group(TWG) identified the need for a counseling reference guide during external quality assurance assessments conducted in several priority countries in 2013-2014. These assessments revealed inconsistencies in core content and key messages communicated to clients. The Communication Sub-Group (CSG) later confirmed the need for this guide by conducting a review of in-service communication (ISC) materials. A total of 37 communication materials used in nine countries, including training guides and job aides for group education and individual counseling, were reviewed as a purposive sample to gauge key topics covered in ISC/counseling activities across the VMMC service continuum.

This tool is aimed at engaging community leaders to reduce vulnerabilities and increase the safety of adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in Swaziland's HIV response. It was developed to assist community leaders in creating a protective environment to reduce the vulnerability of AGYW and advocate for modification of harmful cultural norms and practices that place AGYW at risk of HIV infection.

This guide was developed to supplement Swaziland's extended National Multisectoral Strategic Framework for HIV and AIDS (eNSF) and address its inadequate targeting of interventions and services and a lack of intensity for reaching those most vulnerable—in this case, women aged 25 to 39.