HIV/AIDS Workshop

Every now and then the title of my post just' spells out exactly what you are going to read about, and this morning's activities deserve their own post. Today we did -you guessed it-my first HIV/AIDS workshop with young Guatemalan girls and boys at INEBOO, the junior high. Accompanying me were Silvia, our librarian, Alex, library intern, and Christy, fellow PCV from down the road. Would not have been possible without so much incredible collaboration. The workshop has been pre-planned with lots of great activities that help break down the awkwardness the we usually feeling when talking about S-E-X, especially with youth, especially in a culture where its practically taboo.

The workshop turned out great, with some giggling and some blank looks from time to time...I have to attribute it to a combination of great presenters and the fact that this junior high is a step above the rest as far as students behaving, respecting their teachers, and genuinely wanting to learn. We had a great morning, and imparted some valuable knowledge that will be used, at least by a few of those in attendance.

When reading over the evaluation sheets we passed out at the end of the workshop, Christy and I were pleased to note that most students mentioned the use of condoms as one of their favorite, or most impactful, activities of the morning. No one talks to these kids about sex, let alone condoms. Our primary message was abstinence, as it is the only 100% safe method for preventing HIV, but we did an activity about the proper use of condoms, and harped on them being the only effective protection against HIV (and other STI's, and pregnancy..) if you are going to be sexually active.

A result of the hyper-conservative culture here is a reluctance to discuss sex and the risks that you take when you become sexually active. There is a high incidence of teen pregnancy here despite a higher level of income and education, and the only way to break that cycle is through education. These workshops are a great segue into safe sex talks, and we saw from the feedback that condom use was the biggest lesson taken away from the morning- I think the realization that unprotected sex exposes you to greater risks than pregnancy really sunk in for at least a portion of the teenagers in attendance today.

Both Silvia and I were so excited about the outcome of the workshop that we are already planning future workshops. Christy mentioned that she and a few other volunteers are putting together an additional segment of the workshop that explains puberty, changing bodies, reproductive organs, etc. in more detail because they are not getting it in school or in their homes. Many girls who get their period for the first time are terrified-no one has told them what to expect and they think they are dying! Middle school, puberty, dating are all terrifying enough without having it all be a surprise. I think that working in this vein of health education for teenagers and even adults is important and I look forward to doing more activities of this nature.






Silvia, our awesome librarian, describing the steps of correct condom use

Christy facilitates an activity that helps kids to understand activities that do transmit HIV versus those that don't (for example, sharing toothbrushes does NOT transmit HIV)

Me facilitating "Mito o Dato"

A dramatization of HIV acting on the immune system