Center for Strategic & International Studies

In some communities of KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa, 60 percent of women have HIV. Nearly 4,500 South Africans are newly infected every week; one-third are adolescent girls/young women (AGYW) ages 15-24.  Read More

One barrier is the provision of basic health education and service delivery in schools. While South Africa has a national policy on school-based health education, some provincial officials, school governing boards, and other gatekeepers often prevent services from being provided, even though the age of consent for health services is 12. Schools are an important entry point because there is a high rate of school retention in South Africa and, once out of school, it is difficult to reach young people.