loveLife – South Africa’s largest national HIV prevention, education and behaviour change initiative for young people.

Young people in South Africa have got the message. They know about their risk of HIV and how to protect themselves against the virus, yet we are still a long way from creating an HIV-free generation. Research shows that the infection rate remains high among young women and there is a spike in infection among young people going through life transitions - most notably youngsters leaving the structured environment of school.

To tackle HIV in South Africa, loveLife believes that a broad, holistic approach is needed; one that goes beyond just safe-sex messaging. That's why we have turned our HIV prevention strategy towards addressing the social determinants of HIV: poverty; unemployment; lack of access to health care and education; low social solidarity; lack of self-worth, belonging and identity.

With nothing to look forward to in life - no employment, financial independence and opportunity (real and perceived) - there is little preventing youth from engaging in high-risk behaviour. They tend to tolerate risk as a result, and it is this tolerance of risk that is at the heart of HIV infection in South Africa.

loveLife's current strategy aims to help young people develop initiative; better deal with day-to-day pressures and transitions; and link them to opportunities - giving them a reason to protect themselves from HIV because they are working towards a better future.

Our approach is three-tiered:

It recognises that the challenge of HIV prevention cannot be shouldered by health services alone. Supporting young people requires a broad response from the whole of South African society - governmental and non-governmental organisations, private sector, media and religious institutions - and not least young people themselves.
If HIV prevention initiatives are to have a significant impact, they must simultaneously address the individual factors (e.g. low self-esteem); the social factors (e.g. societal attitudes that disempower girls and young women; tolerance of violence in relationships); and the structural factors (e.g. poverty, unemployment and school drop out) that are putting young people at risk of infection.
It must acknowledged that loveLife, and other initiatives are effective and appealing to youth because they haven't simply focused on telling young people how to behave, but rather have sparked a strong sense of purpose, belonging and identity with an HIV-free way of life. These initiatives have instilled a sense of power in the youth and given them a greater sense of aspiration for the future.

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