Teens Infected with HIV

48 Teens were Infected with HIV. Today.

It is suggested that confidentiality be mentioned to the group. Discussing HIV/AIDS is likely to incite questions and topics of discussion that may be embarrassing for teens. Reassuring them that their questions and comments will be kept within the group may ease their fears and make for a better exchange of ideas.

Students should also be encouraged to share the information from this activity with their families. In this way, everyone in the family can participate as a partner in prevention.

Refusal Skills Acivity - 10 minutes

  1. Discuss and define abstinence. In the context of this lesson, abstinence is defined as voluntarily refraining from any type of sexual intercourse (oral, anal or vaginal). Abstaining from sexual intercourse is the only 100% effective way to prevent sexual transmission of HIV.
  2. Discuss that you understand that it’s not always easy to abstain from sexual intercourse; especially when sometimes it doesn’t seem like a big deal. Compare sex to drugs. It is easy to say “NO” to drugs because they are always harmful. It is much more difficult to say “NO” to sexual intercourse with a person whom you like very much.
  3. Define refusal skills: these are the tools we use to communicate that we do not wish to engage in a specific activity. They are part of everyday communication, for example, what does a sibling say when you ask her/him to change the television channel? “NO!” They have just used their refusal skills to indicate that they do not wish to engage in changing the television channel. Although you may ask again and again, your sibling may continue to say “NO” and give you reasons such as his/her feet hurt or he/she likes what he/she is watching now.

Verbal refusal skills are:

  • Use the word “NO.”
  • Repeat the “NO” message as long as necessary.
  • Suggest an alternative activity; “Let’s go to a movie instead.”
  • Use strong words and tone of voice.

Non-verbal refusal skills:

  • Hands-off; throwing hands in the air
  • Stiffen the body-sit up straight
  • Serious facial expression-without giggling, direct eye contact
  • Body gestures that emphasize your intention to say “NO!”