These are two Questions that I asked of some Global Board members to give me feedback:
1) Are you hearing or reading news about HIV/AIDS among teens and youth in your country? If yes, what do you hear? If not, do you know why not?
2) What do you suggest that TeenAIDS and Dr. John should do to get the news out to more youth? In your country? And worldwide?Pham Truong Son (Vietnam):1) The news about HIV/AIDS among teens and youth in my country is limited. There are no special publication on HIV/AIDS for youth. The news is just in some small articles of newspapers like some information of studies related to HIV/AIDS on youth. There are also some website about HIV/AIDS for youth but they cannot attract youth, just use for AIDS workers and some organizations.
2) TeenAIDS and Dr.John can conduct training related to HIV/AIDS for Vietnamese youth. Organize events like marathon, soccers, etc which intergrate HIV/AIDS information. Make a forum in internet (in Vietnamese language) for youth to discuss and share information.
Markus Maier (Austria)1) Austria has a relatively low HIV infection rate, from 1983 to 2005 “only" 14.100 persons were registered being infected with the HIV virus. 2350 of them actually came down with AIDS in 23 years. More than 60% of those were older than 30 years when being infected, another 35 % between 20 and 30 years. I guess what I'm trying to sag is that there is now doubt about it that "the problem" HIV / AIDS among teens and youth exist in Austria too, but to answer your question we just don't hear as much about it. Almost certainly because of the moderately low number of people infected.
2) In my opinion teens and youth are responding and learning most effectively or maybe only when being confronted by there close friends. Whatever a parent or a teacher, a TV spot or an ad in magazine is saying, if your best friend tells you that he's worried about you not using a condom, or sharing a needle à you'll think about it! And that is what Dr. John is emphasizing, teenagers should spread the message among their peers, they should train and tell there friends. That counts for Austria as well as for the rest of the world!
Chhavelith Vathadna (Cambodia):1. Yes, we are hearing and reading news about HIV/AIDS among the teens and youth in our country. What we hear are: Abstinence, Be faithful, Condom use... ( No sex before get married and the way avoiding peer pressure) and do VCCT.
2. Suggestions TeenAIDS and John should do.
Pls. continue to talk at least one friend about AIDS daily. Encourage each other to exchange ideas how is the best way for safe sex avoid contract HIV. John's message is still impacted us ".....if you are shy, your friend could die" John, you should talk about some cultures not help the teens. For examples my Cambodian culture says the young girls are not good to be early aware or discuss about sexual relationship. This is my opinion I think it worked in the pass. But now this culture must break it up due to HIV occurred. The more they understand AIDS related to sex, the further they avoid catching, not fear them. The Teen must set good examples if you call your selves the Peer Educator. Meant if you have sex you must use condom. This is what our volunteers suggest.
What my country should do: support our one voice and think which culture is omit and maintaince. The Govt should promote and protect female and promote the gender equality. Do not put female under male.
Global should share update news, strategy and support medias in fighting against HIV/AIDS to the developing countries.
Aurora "Au" Malayas (Philippines):1. Yes, not only among teens and youth but adults too. Mostly Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) who worked as seafarers (seeaman), entertainers, contract workders, and commercial sex workers, drus users, homosexuals and their families who eventually become infected by HIV. In a recent published article of our newspaper, The Philippines Daily Inquirer, two male seafarers was infected with HIV/AIDS one died 3 years ago and the other completely blind, passing on the virus to their wives and children. In the Philippines, at least 2,260 cases were documented last year but figures dont actually give the real score. At leasr 749 of the AIDS victims got the virus while working abroad, seafarers top the category. Years ago two Filipinas died of AIDS, their cases were sensational. They came out of their shelf and talked to the media how they got infected. Both are commercial sex workers and knew nothing of the implications of having sex with different partners until one day they were diagnosed to have acquired HIV/AIDS.
2. TeenAIDS and Dr. John whall continue their "WALKS' all over the world to educate people esp. youth the necessary precaution on how to avoid the transmission of the virus that will eventually develop into a full blown AIDS. We must support Dr. John financially in all his travel to minimize if not stop the disease that shortens the life span of the would be victim.
Julio César Nakamura Matus, M.D. (Mexico):1) Yes i heard news like the pandemia is growing and age is getting lower, and the rising resistence of the virus to the therapy, the efforts must be still focus in youth people like before, and maybe to begin in younger teens (12 years old) in the transition from childhood to teenagers, talking about medical facts of course there are changes in the therapy, but this new combinations of retroviral medicines in Mexico can get for all patients because of the money, it is to expensive, goverment give medicine but it is not enough, and we come back to the beginning... better way is prevention.
2) We can organize a massive and global movement with the most famous artist an musicians, writers and actors in many places (USA, Japan, Mexico, Spain etc) at the same time, with the support of live tv shows, radio programs something like that, do you remember the song We are the world, we are the children? that is the idea, just like an ambitious idea, just imagine a very famous artist talking about HIV-AIDS with a young infected person in live programs or live concert explain their own experiences or all singing a song that sensibility goes to our conciences, may be a crazy idea , but could work, of course the old ways to give information are useful as before.
Ayodeji Adewunmi - (Nigeria):
1. Yes, there is a lot going about youth engagement in Nigeria in
relation to AIDS. A number of non-for-profits including the Development
Partnership International here in Nigeria are uniting efforts of young
people through the Global Youth Coalition Alliance
2. My take on TeenAIDS is this - we should makec use of existing
organisations to channel the message to young people. This provides us
with the much needed structure which is required to reach the
grassroots at a phenomenal rate.