has increased in recent years, little attention is paid to the particular issues

Although the number of HIV-prevention programs targeting youth has increased in recent years, little attention is paid to the particular issues that confront adolescent pregnant women and young mothers in this regard. Despite an alarming increase in infection rates among this population, there are very few prevention and support posters produced which focus on young mothers who are at risk and those who are HIV positive. Further, there has been little or no commentary about this absence of posters and little analysis or critical commentary about the very few existing HIV prevention and support posters that do target pregnant women and young mothers. This paper proposes that posters providing educational information for young mothers about HIV prevention and awareness, and posters that specifically target HIV posi-tive mothers would have educational value because they would supply information to young mothers that are relevant to their particular concerns and they would supply information to young mothers about appropriate support services. This paper examines young mothers ’ realities and the representation, albeit limited, of young mothers in the HIV awareness posters produced between 186 and 2006 by Health Canada, the Canadian Public Health Association, the Ontario Ministry of Health, and by the community-based AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT). Positive models of sexuality or models of communication about safer sexuality are lacking in the visual and textual representation of women and mothers in HIV awareness posters. There is an urgent need for HIV awareness and prevention posters targeting young mothers and there is a pressing need for prevention and support services for young mothers