Hello Beauties!
I recently talked to four women to get their perspective on HIV and how they think others in their peer group are dealing with it. I was surprised by some of the answers I got. But first, let me give you some of my history...
I think I was maybe 8 when I first saw the Ryan White story on Lifetime with my mom. If you don't know, Ryan White was a 13 year old hemopheliac who contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion before they started testing blood for the disease. He died from complications of the disease when he was 18 years old. I remember being terrified as I watched how people treated him. He was treated like a leper from the time people found out, and even people from his church shunned him from fear that they would contract the disease from a simple hand shake. I was sad for him, and terrified that someone so young could have such a deadly disease that no one could cure. Of course there was the announcement that Magic Johnson had the disease, but I think watching him on tv and seeing how healthy he looked at the time of the announcement and throughout the years, it didn't really connect with me. Years later, in junior high, we were taught what the disease was in health class textbooks, but sex education focused on teen pregnancy. After that, I didn't really hear anything about HIV personally until the summer before my senior year in high school. I had just moved to Jacksonville, FL from Washington State and was taking a health class during summer school (my school in Washington would let you substitute PE for health class, but my new school required it). Again, we went over the information in a text book manner, but the focus was more on other types of STD's. And that's it. Never once was I taught about what HIV was. I was never taught the difference between HIV/AIDS. I didn't even know the was the letters stood for until the year after when I attended college. Being the curious person I am, I looked it up and educated myself on the diseases.
So I wondered: If, in my day and age, we weren't taught or prepared for HIV, who else was falling through the cracks?
The first person I wanted to ask was my youngest sister. She recently turned 14 and is in her first year at the same high school I graduated from. I asked her, did she have a health class that taught her about HIV/AIDS? Did she even know what those words meant? She told me that she had a health class in the 7th grade and that the school didn't offer one for freshman, only for juniors and seniors. She seemed a bit confused about the HIV/AIDS question, so I had my answer right there.
Secondly, I asked a young woman who is 21 years old and identifies herself as a lesbian. "HIV is not talked about in the lesbian community at all," She stated. "The general consensus among local lesbians is that they can't get it because they don't sleep with men." She does have a large group of gay male friends, and the subject is brought up frequently. "We do ask who has been tested and who hasn't," She said, "And we encourage each other to go." HIV was not really talked about in classrooms when she was in school. If they wanted to talk about the subject, they did amongst themselves.
The third woman I talked to is 34 years old, single, and straight. When asked if HIV was talked about while she was in school she replied yes. "I was in school when the epidemic first started," She said, "But it was the early '90's so there still wasn't a whole lot that was known about the disease." So what is the general attitude towards HIV/AIDS in your age group, I asked? "People in my age group pretty much get tested once a year, or more if they are running around having unprotected sex all willy nilly. In my opinion, there is no reason why we shouldn't be informed unless we are living under a rock. There is too much information out there for you to study, whether it be online, in books, or when you have a doctors visit."
Lastly, I spoke to a 47 year old, married woman. Because she graduated from high school in 1980 and the first recorded AIDS diagnosis was in 1981, I was anxious to hear what she thought. She'd heard about HIV before, but really the reality of HIV didn't hit her until the early to mid '90's, when Magic Johnson announced his diagnosis to the world. That is one of the first things she thinks about when she hears about HIV: Magic Johnson and death. "I don't think people my age really believe in the disease," She said, "They don't think it could happen to them." Why is that? "I don't know about anybody else, but when I think of people who have HIV, I think about people in Africa." I also asked her if her church provided classes about HIV and safe sex since there would be a lot of women of all ages that could benefit. Representatives from the county health department do and come in and do presentations. But is it enough? And are these classes reaching the right people?
After talking to these women, here are my thoughts:
One, we are missing the oppourtunity to teach our young men and women about the consequences of risky sexual behavoir BEFORE they start engaging in it. By the time these kids are in their junior or senior year of high school, it may be too late. Girls are being diagnosed at 13 years old now. Personally, I think that we need start educating a little earlier, and we need to focus more on HIV/AIDS. Just telling young people that they could get it is not enough. There are worse things than becoming a teen mother.
Secondly, there needs to be more information targeted specifically to the lesbian community. While lesbian women have a low risk of contracting HIV, there is still a chance. What if the person you are with engaged in unprotected sex with an infected male before you met? Remember, HIV is not the only incurable STD.
"People in my age group pretty much get tested once a year, or more if they are running around having unprotected sex all willy nilly.''
Ladies...it's great that you are taking responsibility for your actions and going to get tested. It really is. However, if you would practice safe sex, you wouldn't have as much to worry about. More HIV tests do not = safety. If you really want to have sex and don't have any condoms, go to the clinic and stock up on the free ones and while you're there, talk to a health care professional. Knowledge, and the application of that knowledge is power. Empower yourselves ladies. We were not made to be statistics. Let's challenge ourselves to do better because we are better. And if you are already affected, empower others. Love your daughters, sisters, mothers, friends, aunties, ALL women, and encourage them to be better. Be Blessed, everyone!
