Education to curb HIV/AIDS vulnerability
Tuesday, 9 February 2010
Anirudha Alam
More participatory learning-teaching method would be useful. Integration of educative lessons on disease prevention, as well as sex and reproductive health could possibly help improve HIV prevention. Of the world's estimated 1.2 billion adolescents, about 87 per cent lives in developing countries. More than 85 per cent of adolescents in Bangladesh does not know what reproductive health is and how to practise safe sex. Not many of them are aware of how to estimate HIV/AIDS vulnerability. To make them free from such encumbrance as HIV/AIDS, we have to ensure a healthy and promising environment. It is believed that if the adolescents have qualitative reproductive health literacy HIV/AIDS prevention programmes initiated by GOs and NGOs will be successful.
Education alone can provide the adolescents the knowledge on reproductive health. They need to analyse the information, the core message, values and praxis on HIV/AIDS prevention. At the same time it would make them caring and supportive towards the HIV/AIDS infected. The knowledge would motivate them to keep away from the harm's way. Ultimately, it would translate into prevention of the spread of HIV/AIDS. The awareness is essential for safe sex. The curriculum should also include lessons on gender equality. It should discourage early marriage, pre-marital sex and unplanned pregnancy. The programme would be more effective if it is based on social norms, beliefs, and values. Community teamwork could be more effective. Participatory learning would develop the capacity of the adolescents to analyse, study ideas, solve problems and apply what they learn. The learning should be enjoyable to generate interest among the learners. Learning in groups with common objectives would stimulate the students to help each other in mastering the lessons or preparing for activities. It would create an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect. A warm learning environment would inspire the adolescent learners to express their views without inhibitions, which is essential for behaviour rectification.
In adolescence, a sensitive and formative period, people need proper guidance for developing positive attitudes. Due to its absence many adolescents get derailed.
HIV/AIDS vulnerability is rising rapidly in developing countries due to a lack of education on reproductive health for the adolescents. Reproductive health education could provide the best safeguard against possible HIV/AIDS epidemic. For fighting a possible pandemic, reproductive health education would be most effective reducing adolescents' vulnerabilities. Reproductive health education provides them the needed skills and attitudes. It reduces the fear of HIV/AIDS. Reproductive health literacy provides the adolescents the needed knowledge, attitudes and skills to keep away from unsafe and undue sex as well as drugs.
The curriculum in Bangladesh and other developing countries should provide the adolescents the opportunities to learn life skills, such as decision-making and communication skills, for a positive shaping of their future. The inclusive study programme ought to incorporate lessons on reproductive health, HIV/AIDS awareness, human rights and the law, home economics, gender equality, women empowerment, social studies and science.
(The writer is a deputy director BEES (Bangladesh Extension Education Services) anirudhaalam@yahoo.com)
More participatory learning-teaching method would be useful. Integration of educative lessons on disease prevention, as well as sex and reproductive health could possibly help improve HIV prevention. Of the world's estimated 1.2 billion adolescents, about 87 per cent lives in developing countries. More than 85 per cent of adolescents in Bangladesh does not know what reproductive health is and how to practise safe sex. Not many of them are aware of how to estimate HIV/AIDS vulnerability. To make them free from such encumbrance as HIV/AIDS, we have to ensure a healthy and promising environment. It is believed that if the adolescents have qualitative reproductive health literacy HIV/AIDS prevention programmes initiated by GOs and NGOs will be successful.
Education alone can provide the adolescents the knowledge on reproductive health. They need to analyse the information, the core message, values and praxis on HIV/AIDS prevention. At the same time it would make them caring and supportive towards the HIV/AIDS infected. The knowledge would motivate them to keep away from the harm's way. Ultimately, it would translate into prevention of the spread of HIV/AIDS. The awareness is essential for safe sex. The curriculum should also include lessons on gender equality. It should discourage early marriage, pre-marital sex and unplanned pregnancy. The programme would be more effective if it is based on social norms, beliefs, and values. Community teamwork could be more effective. Participatory learning would develop the capacity of the adolescents to analyse, study ideas, solve problems and apply what they learn. The learning should be enjoyable to generate interest among the learners. Learning in groups with common objectives would stimulate the students to help each other in mastering the lessons or preparing for activities. It would create an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect. A warm learning environment would inspire the adolescent learners to express their views without inhibitions, which is essential for behaviour rectification.
In adolescence, a sensitive and formative period, people need proper guidance for developing positive attitudes. Due to its absence many adolescents get derailed.
HIV/AIDS vulnerability is rising rapidly in developing countries due to a lack of education on reproductive health for the adolescents. Reproductive health education could provide the best safeguard against possible HIV/AIDS epidemic. For fighting a possible pandemic, reproductive health education would be most effective reducing adolescents' vulnerabilities. Reproductive health education provides them the needed skills and attitudes. It reduces the fear of HIV/AIDS. Reproductive health literacy provides the adolescents the needed knowledge, attitudes and skills to keep away from unsafe and undue sex as well as drugs.
The curriculum in Bangladesh and other developing countries should provide the adolescents the opportunities to learn life skills, such as decision-making and communication skills, for a positive shaping of their future. The inclusive study programme ought to incorporate lessons on reproductive health, HIV/AIDS awareness, human rights and the law, home economics, gender equality, women empowerment, social studies and science.
(The writer is a deputy director BEES (Bangladesh Extension Education Services) anirudhaalam@yahoo.com)