A group of experts convened by the World Health Organization in 2002 proposed conceptual categories, explained in the following, for youth participation in programs and policies that can guide its incorporation as a program component, a side effect, an organizational value, an objective, or a program or policy goal [2] and [15].
1.
Participation as a way for young people to access services and/or get direct benefits from programs, for example, HIV testing or condoms.
2.
Participation as a component of the program planning process, including needs assessment, design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
3.
Participation as a way to lead changes in the implementing institutions and organizations, such as the creation of organizations' youth councils or the inclusion of young people in governing bodies.
4.
Participation as an approach to improve adolescents' and young people's personal traits and social resources such as self-esteem, confidence, autonomy, greater initiative, teamwork, networks, and social capital, independently of the specific policy or program objectives.
5.
Participation as a key component to achieve program objectives. It can include direct effects on young people, such as increased knowledge of HIV prevention, and direct effects on institutions that serve this group, such as the increased capacity of the health sector to provide youth-sensitive SRH services.
6.
Participation as a way to increase policies' and programs' efficiency, by weighting the costs of participatory processes versus its benefits.
7.
Participation as an environment changing factor that positively impacts the context in which young people live.