The Cool Parent Guide: Preventing HIV/AIDS in young children

In 2006, UNAIDS estimated Malawi’s national prevalence of HIV among 15- to 49-year-olds to be 14 percent. However, in Mangochi District, the prevalence of HIV is substantially higher, reaching 21 percent, most whom are young people. Simultaneously, there was a taboo against talking about sex and protection within these communities. Many believed that it was inappropriate, or that conversations about sex with children would encourage them to pursue it.

Research showed that children trust their parents most for advice and support on sexual health but that parental advice on sex usually comes after children are already sexually active or is given in a disciplinary way.

As the result of this finding. Save the Children started pursuing multiple strategies to encourage parents to teach their children about sex and HIV/AIDS prevention. The most promising strategy was the Cool Parent Guide— named by a student who wished his parents could talk to him in a “cool” way. The Cool Parent Guide is a tool to help parents discuss HIV/AIDS with their children before they become sexually active.

The document included in this resource compiles the successes and lessons learned from distributing the Cool Parent Guide in Mangochi District, Malawi.