This emergency must be addressed head-on by empowering young people with information to help them make smart decisions about their health. If someone has had a sexual encounter that may have put them at risk, knowing their HIV status is essential. Counseling can help reduce future risk and care can promote longer and healthier lives. It uses community partnering, advertising, public relations and street outreach marketing. Community referral testing partners are linked to health care sites to assure that young people who test HIV positive have access to appropriate follow-up care.
Programs also provide risk reduction counseling.