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CROI 2024: REFLECTIONS OF A NEXTGEN COMMUNITY EDUCATOR

I attended CROI 2024 in Denver, Colorado, earlier this month after being awarded a community educator scholarship by the conference. What an amazing experience! I am still digesting all the science and innovation that was presented, but four themes stood out to me. In this post, I share my key takeaways through the lens of a community educator and member of the MOSAIC NextGen Squad.

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REAL ENGAGEMENT, REAL IMPACT: NAMIBIAN YOUTH ENGAGE IN NATIONAL HIV PREVENTION POLICY DEVELOPMENT

Meaningful engagement of young people is a key strategy of the MOSAIC project and CATALYST, its flagship study of choice in HIV prevention. But what does meaningful youth engagement really mean? As a youth representative of MOSAIC’s NextGen Squad and a program coordinator supporting MOSAIC implementation in Namibia, I have had a chance to experience it first-hand.

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YOUTH-POWERED: THREE WAYS THE CATALYST STUDY ENGAGES YOUNG WOMEN TO UNDERSTAND PrEP CHOICE

What sets CATALYST apart is the study’s emphasis on meaningful involvement of young people at every stage of the research to understand end-user perspectives and help tailor the study to meet their needs. This makes us hopeful because the inclusion of young people in the CATALYST journey has not been tokenistic; rather our contributions have been reflected in the whole process so far. In this post, we describe three ways youth have been engaged in CATALYST.

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THE DRIVE WITH SASHA: A PODCAST ON YOUTH-LED ACTIVITIES IN USAID’S HIV PREVENTION PROGRAMS

In this podcast episode, NextGen Squad members answer important questions, noting which youth-led activities USAID should invest in and how HIV programs can better involve youth and youth-led organizations in their work. They also discuss the importance of evaluating impact and share thoughts on utilizing social media to reach young people with key messages about HIV prevention.

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