Departments: Health
A Decade of AIDS Awareness: What Have Students Learned?

Schools have traditionally played a major role in providing health education to young people. So when the need to educate about HIV/AIDS emerged, public schools quickly came to play a major role. Here's how, as two NEA Health Information Network staffers explain.

How widespread is HIV/AIDS education in schools today?
With government and community support, the percentage of students who've been taught about HIV/AIDS in school has grown, since 1992, to 90 percent.

Have these programs made a difference?
Absolutely. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note that young people are changing their behaviors in ways that reflect the prevention messages they're being taught.

Comprehensive school-based programs have been shown to delay the initiation of sexual intercourse, reduce the frequency of intercourse, and reduce the number of sexual partners young people have.

Since 1991, the number of high school students who have had sexual intercourse has decreased from 55 percent to just less than half. The number of high school students who report using a condom during their last sexual intercourse has increased to almost 60 percent.

How has HIV/AIDS education changed in the past 10 years?
School systems and their communities continue to limit the types of information that can be provided during an education program targeted at youth--most are allowed to cover only safer-sex practices and the use of condoms.

But we are seeing one significant new development. There are now more peer educators and youth-to-youth educators. A young person trained as a peer educator can be a very effective way of getting vital, pertinent information to students.

Another development: parent education programs, such as the Can We Talk? program offered by the NEA Health Information Network.

These programs teach parents how to talk with their children about difficult subjects and offer resources to help parents get information for themselves and their children.

How has the education effort affected the spread of HIV/AIDS?
During the mid-1980s, the epidemic was growing at a rate of 80 percent a year. Since then, comprehensive prevention efforts, including the education campaign in schools, have stemmed this growth dramatically.

Another aspect of a comprehensive approach that is slowing the spread of HIV: perinatal prevention programs that identify and treat pregnant women who are HIV infected, greatly reducing the transmission of the disease to babies.

So does that mean the epidemic is over?
No. There still are some 40,000 new infections each year in the United States. Internationally, the virus is spreading. In Asia and Africa, nations are reporting that as much as 35 percent of their population is infected with HIV.

But it's easy to see why some folks are feeling complacent. New--but expensive--medications are helping people with HIV/AIDS live longer, happier lives. And some people have been working on AIDS/HIV for well over a decade. They're just burned out on the issue.

Another problem we face is the mindset of many young people in the United States. As a group, students feel immortal, despite the reality that kids are getting infected every day.

We need to rekindle our efforts to educate the general public. And part of that effort is expanding prevention education in our schools.

--Robert Kaiser
and Ariane Lopez
NEA Health Information Network

Resources

• Ten Talks Parents Must Have With Their Children About Sex and Character by Pepper Schwartz, Ph.D., and Dominic Cappello (Hyperion). Everyone agrees that parents must talk to their children about sex, but the questions always arise: How do I start? What should I cover?

  Ten Talks offers advice on exactly how to begin and what to say--not just about sex, but about safety, character, peer pressure, ethics, meeting people on the Internet, and the mixed messages delivered by TV.

  Ten Talks is based on innovative and proven approaches that the authors are using in parent workshops across the country. The talks can be adapted for many different types of families, helping parents to prepare their kids for the complex world of relationships, sex, and growing up. For more information, visit www.tentalks.com.

• World AIDS Day Resource Book. World AIDS Day is observed each year on December 1 to increase AIDS awareness and strengthen global efforts to address the AIDS epidemic. The American Association for World Health coordinates efforts for World AIDS Day in the United States. They have released The World AIDS Day Resource Book to help educators and community activists plan awareness activities. Included are fact sheets, sample press releases, and activity ideas. $4 plus $3 s&h (adjusted for larger orders). For more info or to order, visit the Web at www.aawhworldhealth.org, call 202/466-5883, or E-mail staff@aawhworldhealth.org.

• Can We Talk? or Conversamos? Can We Talk?, an interactive workshop series from the NEA Health Information Network, helps parents to enhance their role in the health and sexuality education of their children.

  This fall marks the release of ?Conversamos?, a Spanish-language adaptation of the Can We Talk? curriculum that has been carefully adapted both culturally and linguistically to work with members of all Spanish-speaking communities.

  The family activity book ($10), planning and training manual ($60), and video ($5) can be ordered on the Web at www.canwetalk.org. To order, call 800/229-4200.

Zen and the Art of Biking

For this NEA member, regular exercise all started with a high cholesterol reading 10 years ago. His doctor prescribed exercise. So Steve Sliwinski hit the road, on his bike.

Steve Sliwinski, the sole secondary art teacher for northern Pennsylvania's Troy Area School District, started his biking a decade ago with short, five-mile treks.

But, soon enough, Sliwinski found himself rising at 6 a.m. to commute through 11 miles of rural farming area called the "Endless Mountains."

"The routine has provided me a good physical workout and sense of well being," says Sliwinski, "and lowered my cost of transportation!"

Biking has also dropped his blood pressure and resting pulse, lowered his stress level, and helped him control his weight.

Sliwinski's round-trip commute lasts about 90 minutes and takes him through mountain and valley terrain.

"Elevation changes of 1,800 feet sure add to the workout," he notes.

"When I arrive at work, I'm mentally charged and full of energy," says Sliwinski. "I keep extra clothing at the school, where a shower facility is available."

Over the years, Sliwinski has shifted into high gear. He's co-founded the Tour De Shunk, a highly rated 102-mile ride through mountainous locales--the total climb is 5,000 feet--that donates all profits to cancer research.

But it's on his original morning rides that Sliwinski finds a real sense of peace and centeredness.

"The commuting to work has become a quality-of-life feature in my life," he says.

Sliwinski, who teaches everything from metalsmithing to ceramics, likes the peaceful transition that his biking helps him make to and from work. The biking can also, he adds, help enhance the opportunity to reflect and prepare for daily lessons.

"I tell people that cycling is like a Zen experience--all the senses become fully engaged," says Sliwinski. "It helps me appreciate and value the experience of being alive."

Sliwinski also views cycling as an important part of the teaching and learning process.

"Like it or not, we are role models for our students," says Sliwinski. "In my role as a teacher, I see a great many children who see little benefit in physical activity. Perhaps, in some small way, my cycling can help show them a better way."

Getting Geared Up: Easy Steps

1. Know your limits. If you're a novice rider, begin by gradually increasing your endurance and distance over a period of time. Unconditioned muscles, placed under uncommon stress, are slow to recover.

2. Get a check-up. It's always a good idea to see your doctor before beginning a physical routine. A check-up also provides a baseline you can chart your progress by.

3. Know your bike. Attending a basic bike handling skills class can save you from "road rash." You can also obtain valuable advice from a local bike club or bike shop, online, or in books and periodicals.

4. See and be seen. In the dark or dusk, wear reflective clothing and have a 45-watt headlight, rear strobe flasher, and rearview mirror. Always be aware of traffic ahead and behind you. During daylight hours, wear bright colored clothing for easy visibility by drivers.

5. Ride within the law. Cyclists need to realize that they're riding a vehicle and subject to many of the same laws as automobiles. Cyclists should ride predictably and with the flow of traffic. Signal your intentions to motorists and always yield to traffic.

6. Understand basic maintenance. Do you know how to change a flat tire or replace a chain that has come off the front ring? You can learn a lot from local bike advocates, cycling organizations, and from reading. Be prepared. Carry an extra inner tube and a patch kit. Bike tires are more susceptible to flats than car treads.

7. Be prepared for the weather. The right kind of clothing will allow you to ride comfortably even on the coldest of days.

Quick Tip

By Sameta Rush

"When biking, pay attention to the shorts. Padded shorts can bring comfort to the most sensitive, tender part of your core, and when it's happy, you'll be happy. There are lots of cycling shorts besides the lycra, show-it-all style. Terry, a cycling company for women, markets a "skort," a combo short and skirt. Pearl Izumi makes touring shorts that are comfortable and functional.

"Spend a few dollars on gloves and pad the hands. The cushion will reduce the jarring on the wrists, elbows, shoulders, and neck. If you have wrist problems, check with your local bike shop on a suspension fork and padded handlebar tape.

"Mount a water bottle cage on your bike frame or use a water carrier bag, such as a Camelback. Hydration will keep you feeling good, and it's a good way to squirt a friend."

--Sameta Rush, a competitive cyclist and triathlete, teaches fourth grade and video production at Strawberry Park Elementary School in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

From the NEA Health Information Network

• Help Kids Identify Their 'Anti-Drug'
  Help students identify that something special in their lives that stands between them and drugs--sports, art, family, or friends. The What's Your Anti-Drug Partner Participation Pack offers seven activities designed to encourage youth to speak out about alternatives to drugs. The activities can easily be incorporated into the classroom or afterschool or other youth programs. NEA is an active participant in this campaign. To request your free pack, E-mail nea@aed.org. To learn more, visit the Web at www.WhatsYourAntiDrug.com.

• 5 A Day Adventures
  The "5 A Day Adventures" Version 2000 CD-ROM encourages children to eat between five and nine servings of fruit and vegetables a day. This interactive CD, designed for children ages 5-10, introduces nutritional theories through an animated program. Single or multiple quantities are free to educators who send a request on school letterhead to Dole Food Company, 5 A Day Adventures, P.O. Box 6059, Oakland, CA 94603-0059.

• Asthma and Air Quality
  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has published a new resource, IAQ Tools for Schools: Managing Asthma in the School Environment, that clearly links the indoor environment and asthma. This guide discusses common asthma triggers in schools and suggests actions for asthma management. For a copy, call 800/438-4318.

• Valentines for Cancer Survivors
  The Cancer Rose of Hope classroom kit includes a lesson plan on cancer and materials for assembling silk rose pins. Students can assemble pins, attach their own messages to cancer survivors, and deliver the pins to hospitals or cancer survivor programs. For more, check www.usarosebuds.com, E-mail USARosebuds@chicago.avenew.com, or call 708/957-0072.