In many countries children are deeply affected by the problems caused by HIV and AIDS both directly and indirectly. They are affected by the loss or illness of family members, teachers and health workers. They can be affected by stigma. Older children can learn and share basic facts about reproductive and sexual health before puberty. Children can discuss and develop skills linked to delaying sex, sexual faithfulness and using condoms. They need a chance to voice their fears and raise questions and for these to be listened to and treated seriously. Scroll down to read our Top Ten messages on HIV and AIDS for children to learn and share, plus ideas on what children can do to understand, find out more, take action and reflect on this topic. CHILDREN SAY THAT WE CAN MAKE our own HIV & AIDS Messages using our own words in our own language! LEARN these messages so we never forget them! ADD these messages to our collection! SHARE these messages with other children and our families! HIV & AIDS ChildrenforHealth.org Page 1
Message 1 Our body is amazing and every day there are special ways it protects us from getting diseases from the germs we breathe, eat, drink or touch. Our body is amazing it has a special way of protecting us, called the immune system. When something new comes into our body, like a germ or a virus, our body quickly gets to work to protect us and makes the invading germ or virus leave our body quickly. This is how the immune system stops germs and viruses making us ill. How does our immune system work? What is HIV and what is AIDS? What foods help our immune system stay strong and ready for action? Make a quiz to find out what we know about HIV & AIDS. Start a question box in our class for our questions on HIV & AIDS. HIV & AIDS ChildrenforHealth.org Page 2
Message 2 HIV is a germ called a VIRUS (the V is for VIRUS). It is an especially DANGEROUS virus that stops our body protecting itself well from other germs. When a virus gets into our body it tricks our body into doing what the virus wants it to do. The HIV virus is dangerous because it stops our immune system working properly so it can t protect us from other germs and viruses. By stopping our immune system working properly the HIV virus can make our bodies weak and eventually we may develop a disease called AIDS. We know that V is for Virus but what do the other letters in HIV and AIDS stand for? What other viruses can make us ill? Collect leaflets and information about HIV & AIDS. Make a poster for our school about HIV & AIDS. HIV & AIDS ChildrenforHealth.org Page 3
Message 3 HIV can be passed from mothers to babies. When mothers take ART it helps prevent babies getting HIV before they are born. Mothers taking ART can also prevent babies getting HIV from their breast milk. Babies use their mothers blood to help them grow inside the womb, and when they are born they can come into contact with their mother s blood. When a mother takes ART she can reduce the chance that her baby will get HIV. The ART medicine reduces the amount of HIV in the body. Mothers who are breastfeeding their babies and taking ART are less likely to pass HIV to their babies. How does ART work? How can we come into contact with HIV? How to protect ourselves against it? Make a role play about Meena and her mum who has HIV and how Meena persuades her mum to go to the clinic to get ART medicine. HIV & AIDS ChildrenforHealth.org Page 4
Message 4 After time and without medicine, people with HIV develop AIDS. AIDS is a group of serious illnesses and these make the body weaker and weaker. When HIV gets into our bodies it stops our immune system working properly. After a person has had HIV a long time and if they don t have medicine, their immune system gets very tired and stops defending them against germs. When this happens, people with HIV get weak and can get many illnesses. This is when we say they have AIDS. What does AIDS stand for and what happens when someone develops AIDS? About testing for HIV and the medicines that help people with HIV stay well. About how can we support our friends and family who are living with HIV stay healthy and well. Invite a health worker to our school to answer our questions about HIV & AIDS. Find ways to help children in our community who are affected by AIDS. HIV & AIDS ChildrenforHealth.org Page 5
Message 5 HIV is invisible and lives in blood and other liquids in the body that are made during sex. HIV can be passed 1. During sex 2. From infected mothers to babies and 3. In blood. HIV lives in blood and liquids made by the body during sex these are semen and vaginal fluid. We can pass HIV from person to person when we come into contact with their body s fluids during sex or with their blood. Mothers can pass HIV to their babies before they are born because the mother s blood helps the baby to grow. After a baby is born HIV can also pass from a mother to the baby when she breastfeeds her baby. How is HIV passed from person to person? How we can protect ourselves against HIV using a condom during sex? How can medicines help reduce the risk of mothers passing HIV to their babies? Play the lifeline game and find out about risky behaviours that could put us in contact with HIV. Play true and false about ways to catch HIV. HIV & AIDS ChildrenforHealth.org Page 6
Message 6 People protect themselves from getting HIV from sex by 1. Not having sex 2. Being in a faithful relationship or 3. By having sex using condoms (protected sex). We can t see HIV and we can t see who has HIV and who has not. We can protect ourselves from HIV by not having sex. Or we can protect ourselves by being in a faithful relationship a relationship with someone who doesn t have HIV who only has sex with us. Or we can use a condom, sometimes called protection that stops us having contact with another person s bodily fluids during sex. We protect ourselves from HIV by practising these behaviours to keep us safe during sex. How are people tested and treated for HIV? How to use a condom correctly? When and how our friendships become sexual relationships. Learn life skills to help us talk about special friendships and our sexual feelings. Play the fleet of hope and find out which safe behaviours we would choose to protect us from HIV in our special friendships. HIV & AIDS ChildrenforHealth.org Page 7
Message 7 You can play, share food, drink, hold hands and hug people with HIV and AIDS. It is safe and you will not catch the virus this way. People with HIV and AIDS need care and kindness. We can show we care by playing, holding hands, hugging and doing all the things we normally do with friends with people who have HIV. We can learn why we can t catch HIV from everyday activities. We can learn how HIV is passed from person to person, so we know that it is safe to play with someone who has HIV or AIDS. About how HIV is passed from person to person, and how it isn t! Think of all the difficulties someone with HIV or AIDS has to face and what we can do to help. Role play having HIV and find what it might be like to be someone with HIV. Play the true and false game about all the ways HIV can pass from person to person. HIV & AIDS ChildrenforHealth.org Page 8
Message 8 People with HIV and AIDS sometimes feel afraid and sad. Like us, they need love and support and so do their families. They need to talk about their worries. Many families care for someone with HIV and AIDS and many young people have HIV and AIDS. We can learn more about HIV and AIDS so we can understand how people with HIV and AIDS might feel. We can learn to listen when someone with HIV or AIDS wants to talk about their feelings. We can help our school and our community become more supportive places for people with HIV and AIDS. About discrimination and stigma. About who in our community is affected by HIV & AIDS and what we can do to help. Ask someone who has HIV to come and talk to us about their experiences. Start an HIV and AIDS Action club to raise awareness in our school and with our families. HIV & AIDS ChildrenforHealth.org Page 9
Message 9 To help themselves and others, people who think they may have HIV or AIDS must go to a clinic or hospital for testing and counselling. It s important to get tested for HIV if someone thinks they may have HIV or AIDS. Getting tested allows people with HIV to get the medicines they need. Taking antiretroviral therapy medicines can help people with HIV reduce their chance of passing it on to someone else. The hospital or clinic will give the person counselling about HIV and the test, what it means and what will happen next if they have HIV. Where our clinic is and what kind of counselling there is for young people. What happens when someone finds out they have HIV. HIV & AIDS ChildrenforHealth.org Page 10
Message 10 In most countries, people that are HIV positive get help and treatment. A medicine called 'Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART) helps them to live long lives. ART are medicines that are taken together to stop the HIV virus being active in the body of someone with HIV. It makes the virus slow down and reduces the amount of HIV in the body. When someone knows they have HIV, they can take ART before they become ill with AIDS. Taking ART early can help stop HIV spreading from person to person. It is important to find out if you have HIV so that you can take ART before you get ill with AIDS. Where is the health centre where someone can get Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART)? When should someone take ART? About getting tested for HIV. Listen to and discuss stories about people who are living with HIV & the problems they face. Think of all the things that makes someone feel sad when they have HIV and all the things we could do to make them happy. HIV & AIDS ChildrenforHealth.org Page 11
All 10 Messages 1. Our body is amazing and every day there are special ways it protects us from getting diseases from the germs we breathe, eat, drink or touch. 2. HIV is a germ called a VIRUS (the V is for VIRUS). It is an especially DANGEROUS virus that stops our body protecting itself well from other germs. 3. HIV can be passed from mothers to babies. When mothers take ART it helps prevent babies getting HIV before they are born. Mothers taking ART can also prevent babies getting HIV from their breast milk. 4. After time and without medicine, people with HIV develop AIDS. AIDS is a group of serious illnesses and these make the body weaker and weaker. 5. HIV is invisible and lives in blood and other liquids in the body that are made during sex. HIV can be passed 1. During sex 2. From infected mothers to babies and 3. In blood. 6. People protect themselves from getting HIV from sex by 1. Not having sex 2. Being in a faithful relationship or 3. By having sex using condoms (protected sex). 7. You can play, share food, drink, hold hands & hug people with HIV & AIDS. It is safe and you will not catch the virus this way. 8. People with HIV and AIDS sometimes feel afraid and sad. Like us, they need love and support and so do their families. They need to talk about their worries. 9. To help themselves and others, people who think they may have HIV or AIDS must go to a clinic or hospital for testing and counselling. 10. In most countries, people that are HIV positive get help and treatment. A medicine called Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART) helps them to live long lives. HIV & AIDS ChildrenforHealth.org Page 12