Indigenous youth and adolescents in Guatemala: protagonist in HIV/AIDS prevention

Guatemala is a multicultural country

6,735,905 (51.74%) of the population is under 18 years old

The majority of the population is from the Mayan ethnic group (60%). 19% of the young Indigenous women have their first sexual relationship at 13 years old and only 3% use family planning methods. 50% of the HIV infections in Guatemala have been detected in persons below 30 years old.

promoted the formation of the Guatemalan Youth Parliament that has been protagonist in HIV/AIDS prevention among Indigenous youth and adolescents with a desire to reach the Millennium goal by 2015 to initiate the reduction of the propagation of HIV/AIDS.

Strategic actions(shares) in prevention of the VIH/SIDA, towards a challenge of a multicultural country and of respect to the values of the Cosmovisión Maya.

In 2004, the southwestern children´s network expanded its actions to form the Intercultural Youth Movement in 18 department of Guatemala. This movement promoted the installation of the Guatemalan Youth Parliament, which is the consultation group for all policy decisions that affect youth

It is a political space of expression and protagonism, integrated(repaid) by four cultures of Guatemala, Maya, Garifuna, Xinkas and Half-caste.

The specialized commissions are negotiating with the municipal mayors to formulate decentralized HIV prevention policies for youth and adolescents.

Unscience in mass media, declaration of the position(attitude) of the indigenous childhood in municipal spaces for prevention of the VIH/SIDA.

To reach the Millennium goal by 2015, all sectors need to advocate for HIV prevention in rural areas

Participation and Installation of the table of childhood and indigenous adolescence give the Summit III Continental of Peoples(Villages) and Nationalities Indigenous Abya Yala's, 2007.

Negotiate the formulation of public politics(policy) for the national juvenile commission and the politics(policy) of VIH's prevention decentralized to integrate(repay) publications cultural important (questions) for the Indigenous communities the more affected for the VIH.