Since 2014, Doctors with Africa CUAMM has supported a network of clinics in Beira, Mozambique, aimed specifically at young people aged 10 to 24 – the Servicios Amigos dos Adolescentes (SAAJ) – which offer counseling, diagnostic tests and treatment to help adolescents learn more about sexual and reproductive health.
The present study involved an analysis of the data collected on the 8,290 girls and young women who had had outpatient visits at one of the SAAJs in 2014. It revealed that 3,021 of them (36%) were either currently or had recently been pregnant; the majority (59%) were aged from 15 to 19 and had dropped out of school.
Sixty percent of the 8,290 girls and young women agreed to take an HIV test, and HIV prevalence was found in 4-5% of the adolescents and 25% of the women aged 25 or older. The situation vis-à-vis pregnant girls and women was alarming, with very high HIV prevalence rates: 2% in girls aged 10-14, 8% in those aged 15-19, 10% in those aged 20-24, and 28% in those aged 24-25.
Based on our analysis, there seems to be a clear need to expand both health services and awareness-raising activities for Mozambican adolescents in order to improve their access to HIV treatment.