Yasmin Williams - HEALTH-WISE PARENTS (PRIMARY CAREGIVERS) must talk to their children about HIV/AIDS. Children and adolescents must be taught the basic facts but, importantly, they must also be taught that they ought not to stigmatise and discriminate against persons who are HIV-positive, and that they must support and care for HIV-infected individuals.
THE DISCUSSION MUST INCLUDE:-
1) The difference between HIV infection and AIDS
2) The different ways in which persons may become HIV infected
3) Current myths about HIV infection.They must understand that HIV cannot be transmitted by casual contact like touching, holding hands or hugging or a mosquito bite
4) The ways in which people stigmatise and discriminate against
HIV-infected individuals
5) The ways in which individuals and communities can care and support individuals who are HIV positive
6) The fact that each person can and must play a role in the fight against HIV/AIDS
7) The benefits of abstaining from and delaying sexual intercourse as an important strategy to prevent HIV/AIDS & teenage pregnancy
8) How adolescents can avoid risky situations for HIV/AIDS.
In discussing prevention of
HIV-infection, delaying sexual intercourse or abstaining from intercourse should be, highlighted as the best way for your child to prevent HIV-infection. One needs to make the point that it may seem as if every teenager is sexually active but the truth is that although some teenagers are active sexually, there are many who are not. Quite often, boys especially, may boast about exploits that are fictitious.
Remind your child that even with the best resolve, he or she may find himself/herself in a situation where he or she is tempted or, worse yet, forced to have sex. Your child needs to think about these possible situations beforehand and avoid them.
Parents, tell your child that no one has the right to force him or her to have sexual intercourse. During your discussion, ask your child to give you some examples of saying "no" to sex.
SHARE THE FOLLOWING EXAMPLES:-
I don't feel I am ready for sex at this time in my life.
It may feel right for you, but it doesn't feel right for me so I will wait.
I have decided to wait until I am married.
Children must also be taught ways to say "no" to drug use because apart from the fact that HIV is spread through infected needles, drugs such as alcohol impair judgement and may facilitate risky sexual behaviour which may result in HIV/AIDS.
Parents must also discuss with their children safe ways to express 'romantic feelings' which will occur. The adolescent who is not abstaining from sex must be counselled. The adolescent must clearly understand that HIV infection is often asymptomatic and therefore an infected person may not be aware of the presence of this infection. Also, the infected person may have no obvious risk factor for HIV except that had he or she had unprotected sex with someone who again was HIV-positive and did not know.
Protect your children, discuss HIV prevention with them. For adolescents, abstinence is the preferred strategy for prevention. However, if the adolescent is sexually active then, proper condom use at each sex act must be promoted for the maintenance of sexual/reproductive health.
Dr. Yasmin Williams is a Family Doctor and Public Health Specialist.
