Teach about HIV/AIDS in schools

An appeal has been made for teachers to get the topic of HIV/AIDS into the primary school classroom to reduce the number of people becoming infected with the disease.

The call came from Keith Deyalsingh, who has been living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) for the past ten years, as he addressed scores of primary school children at yesterday’s World AIDS Day programme comprising music, drama and speeches, hosted by the TT Red Cross Society and Ministry of Education at the Grand Stand Queen’s Park Savannah. Deyalsingh said children should be taught what is HIV/AIDS and how people become infected. “HIV is transmitted through sex,” he said and advised them to heed the advice of their parents, teachers and “grown ups” to avoid getting HIV.

Delivering the feature address for Community Action Resource (CAR) he begged the youths: “Please boys and girls you are going to grow up, fall in love, please know your partner before you start anything.” Deyalsingh said when his HIV status became known people pointed at him. He was infected and his family affected. “I am a person living with AIDS not dying from it,” he said in his testimony. Deyalsingh said there are many people who are in denial and if they did not get voluntary testing and counselling they could die. He said there is treatment available that allows people to live healthy and productive lives. Principal Medical Officer (Epidemiology) Dr Ian Popplewell called for people to be responsible for themselves and those in their care. He said it is wrong for health care providers to withhold treatment based on real or perceived HIV status of someone. He said a “healthy space” must be created for PLWHAs and it must be based on empathy, understanding, hope, trust, human rights and dignity.

Gail Austin Pinder, director of the Youth Section of the Red Cross, launched the Red Cross’ peer education HIV awareness programme, “Together We Can.” It will begin in January and will help youths acquire the knowledge, attitude and skills to prevent Sexually Transmitted Infections including HIV. Interactive teaching methods will be used and at the end of project youths will know the ways HIV is transmitted, how it can be prevented and display understanding of how discrimination affects the lives of PLWAs and their families. Austin Pinder said they will also be taught how to manage situations “where they are at risk for HIV transmission by exercising the right to choose to have sex or not.” A group of trainers will train the peer educators who will share information with their friends.

Newsday spoke to a few children attending the rally about HIV/AIDS some like Renisa Ramnath, 8 years Denique Dial, 10 years and Shien Fuentes, 9 years of St Francis RC, knew that the disease is serious and can kill. “I think it is a serious disease people can get it by blood contact, sexual contact, you have to try and protect yourself,” said Dial. However, misconceptions are yet to be alleviated. A student from Nelson Street Boys, while knowing HIV/AIDS can cause death and make someone sick, also thought it could be caught from smoking, alcohol and from an infected person’s spit drying on the ground and “blowing on you.”