AIDS: Youth Take Action to Prevent a Killer Disease

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Program host
Thandi, Kwesi, George and Sudha: Four youth, preparing a drama to teach young people about HIV/AIDS

MUSIC (… bring up program theme … Run 10 secs).

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It is an illness many call “the new sickness,” but we have known of this disease for nearly 20 years now. Today, most people have heard of HIV and AIDS, and know something about how it is spread. But, they may not know that HIV can be avoided completely. Young people have a very high risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. Yet they also have an important role to play in helping to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS. Today’s drama shows how important it is for young people to protect themselves from this deadly disease.

SOUND EFFECTS (Drumming — or some music popular with youth — runs 15 seconds … fades under dialogue as Thandi and George arrive on the scene.).

: Hey, Kwesi! That sounds good!

: Yeah. That’s great!

: You can say that again.

: Hey, thanks. I’ve been practising. I think this type of music would be good in our drama.

: Great! Anything that will grab people’s attention and get them to listen will be a big help.

: You know when we first started talking about preparing a drama on HIV and AIDS, I was really excited. And all of the studying and preparation we’ve been doing has been really important. But now I’m getting nervous.

: That’s understandable. This is a difficult topic. What are you afraid of?

: What my parents will think, for one thing.

: You haven’t told them?

: No, have you told yours?

: Not yet.

: Me neither, but I know I need to.

: If my parents were still alive I would probably have the same problem. But now that I am responsible for my younger brothers and sisters, my big concern is keeping them safe. You can be sure I have talked with them about this disease and how to protect themselves.

: What did you say to them?

: Well, I tried to explain things very simply, and to give them information they could understand. And I tried to make a game out of it — like I was the teacher and they were the students.

: Did it work?

: I think so. Do you want me to show you how I did it? It might be good practice for our drama.

MUSICAL BREAK.

: OK. Here is exactly how I explained it to them.

[Note: The dialogue that follows in quotations and a different type is a drama within the story. Using a different tone of voice will help listeners to identify where the story changes.]

“Alright class, pay attention. When a person is in good health, the body has a natural way of protecting itself from disease. If the person becomes ill, the body is able to fight the sickness and the patient can recover. But when someone has HIV and AIDS, their body cannot fight diseases very well.”

Thandi: “Teacher, what’s HIV?”

George: Now you’re getting into the role, Thandi!

“HIV is a virus that attacks the body, so it can’t fight off illnesses. AIDS is the name given to the disease once it reaches the advanced stages. Now class, it is important to know how this disease is spread.”

: You go into all of that, too?

: Yes, of course. That’s the whole point. I want my brothers and sisters to know how to protect themselves.

“Okay, class, how is HIV spread?”

: “I’ve heard that people can catch it by shaking hands with someone who has AIDS.”

: “I’ve heard that you can get it by touching someone who is infected, or using the same toilet, or sharing clothes or food with them. Some people think you can catch HIV by hugging or kissing someone with the disease.”

: “Yes, I have heard people say that coughing or sneezing might spread it around. Others say it is spread by mosquitoes, like malaria. A lot of people even think it is some sort of witchcraft.”

: “And are any of these explanations correct?”

: “No. They’re all false. Touching and hugging won’t spread HIV.”

We’ve all studied this, George. We know that unsafe sex is the main way that HIV/AIDS is spread. But what do you tell your brothers and sisters? How much information do you give them?

: Sudha, I speak plainly and clearly about this. I’m not going to hide information from them that might save their life. So I tell them the facts. They know that AIDS is a sexually transmitted disease and people get HIV from having unsafe sex. They know that HIV is only found in blood or other body fluids, like semen, that get inside the body of another person.

: Don’t forget that mothers can pass on HIV to their babies through their breast milk if the mothers are infected.

: Women can even pass on the virus to their unborn child.

: These are both correct. But, the most important message is that most people contract HIV/AIDS by having unsafe sex.

MUSICAL BREAK.

: Let’s talk about what you mean by unsafe sex. You’ve told your brothers and sisters that if someone is having sex with a lot of different people or with strangers, the chances are much higher that they will get the disease?

: Yes, they know that. But I also stress that you can catch HIV from having sexual relations just one time if the person you are having sex with has the disease and you have not used any protection.

: Wow! You didn’t hold much back from them did you?

: Well, consider the alternatives. People are getting sick and dying all around us because they don’t know the facts about this disease. If someone had spoken to me when I was younger, I know I would never have taken the risks that I took. And if my father and mother had known about how HIV is spread, they may not have died of this disease. I think about these things whenever I feel afraid to speak up. I think about what I can do to help so that no one else has to go through what I am experiencing. Then it becomes … in a way … simple. This is about saving lives.

MUSICAL BREAK.

: You know, when I learned that our teacher was sick with AIDS, I was shocked. She was someone we all knew. The whole time she was teaching us, she didn’t even look sick.

: That’s the mistake a lot of people make. You can’t tell from just looking at someone whether they have HIV. Many people think that if someone is healthy looking, they must be okay. Or if they are young and haven’t had much sexual experience, they will be safe.

: And people are making a big mistake thinking they can tell from looking. A lot of people with HIV don’t have any symptoms for a long time. If you’re sexually active, the only way to know for sure whether you or someone else has HIV is to have a special blood test.

: A lot of people can’t get a blood test where they live, or they’re afraid to take it. But there’s still a lot that people can do to protect themselves, even if they don’t know if they have HIV. Of course, the absolute safest thing you can do is not have sexual relations. I can tell you, I am in no rush after everything I have learned.

: I hope my sisters and brothers will wait as long as possible before having sex, hopefully until they are married.

: I’ll bet because of what you told them, that when they do decide to begin sexual relations, they’ll know what to do to make wise choices.

: Oh, yes. They know that being faithful with one partner is very important. And they know what a condom is for and how to use it properly. You know, if people would only use condoms every time they have sex, and learn how to use them properly, we could slow the spread of AIDS.

: And this is the part where many parents will think you’re trying to encourage young people to have sex.

: You know I am not. But we all know a lot of young people are having sex. We need to recognize this and teach youth how to act responsibly.

: I think a lot can be done to help young people deal with their sexual feelings in safer and healthier ways than rushing into sex too soon.

: This is true, but when they do feel ready for sex, they should know how to have it as safely as possible — and condoms are essential.

: That’s right. So, I have told my sisters and brothers: hold off from rushing into sexual relations as long as possible; when the time comes, use a condom; and be faithful to one partner.

: You know, it isn’t just young people who need to be educated. Our parents need to learn about these things as well.

: HIV and AIDS have changed all of our lives forever. So we all need to change our way of living and thinking about certain things. It is time. It’s past time. It’s time to change.

: So how are we going to put all of this into a play?

: It won’t be easy. But you want to know what the toughest part will be? Getting people to listen.

: (Starts drumming, making music) I say we start with the music. You know, no matter what happens, people can’t resist a good tune.

SOUND EFFECTS (Repeat music used at beginning of drama: drumming — or music popular with youth).

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