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TALKING TO YOUNG PEOPLE ABOUT HIV AND AIDS |
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Young people today often face tough decisions about sex and drugs. most likely,
you will not be with the children you care about when they face these choices. But
if you talk to them about decision making and AIDS prevention now, you can help
them resist peer pressure and make informed choices that will help protect their
health, now and for the rest of their lives.
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Think Of Yourself As A Counselor
- When talking with a young person about HIV infection and AIDS, think of your role
as that of counselor, advisor, coach, best friend, or guide. Your goal: to help
a young person learn how to make smart decisions about how to act in a healthful
manner and avoid infection with HIV.
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Deciding What Young People Need To Know
- As an adult who knows the young people you will talk with, you are in the best position
to decide what they need to know about HIV infection and AIDS.
- Think carefully about their knowledge and experience. How old are the children?
How much do they already know about HIV infection, AIDS, and other related subjects,
such as sex and drug use? Where have they gotten their information? From friends?
School? Television? You? Is it likely to be accurate?
- Also ask yourself these questions:
- Is it possible that the young people you will be talking with are sexually active?
- Have they tried drugs?
- Do they spend time with people who do these things?
- In addition, consider your family's religious and cultural values.
- Do you want to convey these in the conversation?
- How will you get them across?
- These are important questions. Answering them will help you stress the information
that the young people in your life most need to know.
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Tips For Starting A Conversation:
- You can start talking about HIV infection and AIDS at any time and in any way you
choose. If you find it awkward to bring the topic up, you can look for clues that
will help you. Here are some examples:
- The Media. You can find plenty of clues in the media, which give HIV infection and
AIDS a lot of attention. Look for stories about AIDS and advertisements about HIV
prevention on television, on the radio, in newspapers, and in magazines.Start a
conversation by commenting on one of them or asking a young person how he or she
feels about it.
- School. Ask a young person what he or she is learning in health, science, or any
other class about HIV infection and AIDS. Use the answer to launch your conversation.
Community. Local events, such as AIDS benefits or health fairs, can serve as handy
conversation starters. You might even propose going to such an event with a young
person as an educational experience.
- Children May Ask. Don't be surprised if a young person asks you directly about HIV
infection and AIDS. You can also use young people's questions about related topics,
such as dating or sex, to lead into a conversation about HIV infection and AIDS.
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How To Keep the Conversation Running Smoothly
- It Can Be A Challenge. Talking about HIV infection and AIDS can be difficult. You
may feel uncomfortable just thinking about it. That's understandable. If you are
nervous or embarrassed, don't be afraid to say so. Bringing your feelings into the
open can help break the tension. Besides, a young person will sense your uneasiness
even if you don't mention it.
- Review The Facts. You don't have to be an expert to talk with a young person about
HIV infection and AIDS. But you should understand the basic facts so that you will
deliver the right information. This website will help you become familiar with the
key facts. Talking about the facts with another adult may help you feel more comfortable
as you prepare to talk with young people.
- Step Into A Young Person's Shoes. What kinds of things did you do when you were
the age of the young person with whom you plan to speak? How did you think? The
better you understand a young person's point of view, the more effectively you'll
be able to communicate. Also, thinking of some important differences between the
world a child grows up in today and the one you grew up in can help you make your
discussion timely and relevant.
- Have a Mutual Conversation. A conversation is an exchange of ideas and information,
not a lecture. Encourage the young person with whom you speak to talk and ask questions.
Ask about his or her thoughts, feelings, and activities. Show that you want to learn
from a young person just as you hope he or she will learn from you.
- Listen. Listen to a young person with whom you speak as closely as you hope he or
she will listen to you. Stop talking if he or she wants to speak. give him or her
your full attention, and make eye contact.
- Be Upbeat. Try to show a positive attitude as you lead the discussion. A critical,
disapproving tone can prompt a young person to ignore you.
- Don't Get Discouraged. Young people often challenge what they hear from adults.
If a young person questions what you say try not to get into an argument. Encourage
the young person to check your information with another source, such as the National
AIDS Hotline (1-800-342-AIDS). You can also show him or her some of the information
in the website, especially the area for teens. If your first conversation is cut
short for any reason, don't give up. It is important to try again.
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Smart Decisions: Young People Can Make Them With Your Help:
- Even though young people may not ask for it, they often want guidance from adults.
You can offer guidance to the young people you care about by helping them develop
the skills to make smart decisions- decisions about their education, their social
life, their health. Just as important, you can help young people to understand that
they have the ability- and the responsibility- to make the key decisions that can
prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS.
- Young People Do Make Decisions. Young people often feel they have no control over
their lives. Adults tell them when to go to school, when to be home, when to go
to bed, and when to wake up. It's important to help them see that they make decisions
about their lives every day, such as what music they listen to and whom they spend
time with. Point out that they also make- or will make- tough choices with serious
consequences about sex and drugs.
- Cause And Effect. Many young people do not fully understand the direct relationship
between their decisions and the consequences that may result. In your role as a
counselor or guide, you can help them see that thoughtful decisions can bring them
direct benefits and save them from harsh consequences, such as HIV infection and
AIDS.
- Recognize Peer Pressures. Young people's decisions are often strongly influenced
by pressure to conform with friends and acquaintances. Peer pressure can also cause
young people to act on impulses rather than to think through their decisions.
- You can help the young people with whom you speak consider the effects of peer pressure.
Point out that it is okay to act according to their best judgment, not according
to what friends encourage them to do. Suggest that their friends may be testing
limits and looking for support in making sound choices. Talk about difficulties
you may have had defying peer pressure. Then talk about the reasons you are glad
you did.
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