This technical brief is one in a series addressing four young key populations. It is intended for policy-makers, donors, service-planners, service-providers and community-led organizations. This brief aims to catalyse and inform discussions about how best to provide health services, programmes and support for young people who inject drugs. It offers a concise account of current knowledge concerning the HIV risk and vulnerability of young people who inject drugs; the barriers and constraints they face to appropriate services; examples of programmes that may work well in addressing their needs and rights; and approaches and considerations for providing services that both draw upon and build the strengths, competencies and capacities of young people who inject drugs.

This series of technical briefs on young key populations was developed with community involvement as the consolidated work of all UNAIDS agencies and many NGOs, co-financed by all the UNAIDS agencies -- in particular UNFPA, UNDP, UNICEF, and UNESCO -- with the coordination done by WHO under the leadership of UNDP and UNFPA.