Diapositiva 1

1
Indigenous youth and adolescents in Guatemala
protagonist in HIV/AIDS prevention
Issue Guatemala is a multicultural Country. 6
,735,905 (51.74) of the population is under 18
years old
The majority of the population is from the Mayan
ethnic group (60). 19 of the young Indigenous
women have their first sexual relationship at 13
years old and only 3 use family planning
methods. 50 of the HIV infections in Guatemala
have been detected in persons below 30 years old.
2
Description We promoted the formation of the
Guatemalan Youth Parliament that has been
protagonist in HIV/AIDS prevention among
Indigenous youth and adolescents with a desire to
reach the Millennium goal by 2015 to initiate the
reduction of the propagation of HIV/AIDS.
Lessons Learned HIV/AIDS prevention actions
should include strategies that focus on the
vision of the multicultural country and respect
of the values of the Mayan Cosmovision.
3
In 2004, the southwestern childrens network
expanded its actions to form the Intercultural
Youth Movement in 18 department of Guatemala.
This movement promoted the installation of the
Guatemalan Youth Parliament, which is the
consultation group for all policy decisions that
affect youth
It is a political space of expression and
protagonism, integrated by the four cultures of
Guatemala Maya, Garifuna, Xinkas and Mestizo.
Next Steps Negotiate the formulation of public
policy through the national youth commission and
decentralized HIV prevention policies to
integrate cultural issues important to the
Indigenous communities most affected by HIV.