Tanzania has documented risky and abusive behaviors to children, 10% of young people 15-19
years old have had their first sexual intercourse before the age of 15 years. 38.3% of girls and
30.7% of boys aged 13 -17 years old experienced three or more incidence of sexual violence.
UNICEF highlights the critical information gap in adolescence hindering strategic planning to
address the needs and rights of children. This study aimed at determining what the factors are
that make children vulnerable to HIV; design interventions that address children’s vulnerabilities
and prevent HIV infection.
This was interpretive qualitative study using focus group discussions and semi structured
interviews in determining factors that make children vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. Interpretive
validity was used to ensure accuracy of study findings. The data was collected from a sample of
2 social welfare officers, 18 most vulnerable children aged 11–17 years and 18 caregivers of
respondent children. The research used purposive sampling and stratified random sampling in
selection of respondents. The data analysis was done through coding the information collected
then categorizing into themes. The interpretation was guided by comparison of findings with
existing literature. The researcher obtained Certificates of ethical clearance from Tanzanian
National Institute for Medical Research and The Research Ethics Committee at Stellenbosch
University.