I am definitely growing in this course and I am glad I made the decision to take it. This past week has been an educational one. I read the book titled What May Look Crazy. I loved the book! Cleage was very blunt and it was actually quite refreshing. I recommend it to all the students in this course! The thing I liked most about this book was the fact that Cleage hit you with the reality of the disease. Nothing is sugar coated in this book.
I finally went to go take my HIV test. I recently went to take my HIV test, but it was at my doctor's office. The nurse took some blood and had me sign a paper. That was the end of that. The experience at the health clinic is totally different. The questions that the counselor asked me were appropriate, but I still felt a little uncomfortable. I am a private person so I do not generally talk about so many private topics to strangers. It was a great learning experience. I never noticed how many people have appointments for HIV tests. I had to wait a week and a half for an appointment. This is a good thing though, because at least people want to know their status.
My friend who I wrote about in last week's blog is learning from this course as well. Every week I inform him about something that I learned in this course. He seems really interested and his views have changed a little bit as well. I also tell him about the Question of the Week so that he can really think about being put in different situations. I am glad that his attitude is changing for the better.
Did You Know?
In my previous blogs I have been focusing on HIV prevention for sexual transmission. This week I am going to focus on prevention for adolescents and young adults for other modes of transmission. Many adolescents and young adults have already and will experiment in drug use. HIV can spread through the sharing of syringes and needles with an infected person (CDC, 2007). Adolescents and young adults are using drugs at a high rate and when they abuse these substances they tend to have unprotected sex (CDC, 2008). The trend of exchanging sex for drugs has also increased the number of HIV positive cases as well.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has many community based organizations in an attempt to decrease the number of HIV cases among adolescents and young adults. Teens Linked to Care and Street Smart are two of the prevention programs that target the youth and spread awareness (CDC, 2008). I believe that these programs will defintely help to educate adolescents and young adults. When I was growing up there was a boy in my neighborhood who decided to experiment with drugs. I bet that back then if you were to tell him he could become HIV positive from his activity he probably would not have believed you. If parents talk to their children about drug use and how it can effect them, they will be able to make an informed decision. Knowledge truly is power!
Web: (CDC). 2007. Retrieved September 29, 2009 from, http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/factsheets/PDF/transmission.pdf
Web: (CDC). 2008. Retrieved September 29, 2009 from, http://www.cdc.gov/Hiv/resources/factsheets/youth.htm
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I read Pearl Cleage's book too! I totally agree with you, it was so refreshing to not have someone dance around the topic. Her approach was so down to earth, and I feel like Ava was so real (not only in the real vs. imaginary sense but also like realistic and assertive). You can totally tell that Cleage was a playwright, the dialogue was so rich.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to comment on the feelings you have on getting tested, it's so strange how those questions, even when we expect them feel inappropriate. Like they are violating, and uneasy... even when the counselor has probably asked a million other people the same questions. Maybe it is because we are all so used to being judge by others and judging each other, we just subconsciously expect it. How much of the uneasiness do you think prevents people from getting tested? I'm not sure there's any way around the uneasiness... but I wonder if it has the big of an effect on whether people choose to get tested... Hmm...
Great post by the way!
I'm glad to hear you say that people were at your doctor's office waiting to get tested. When I went to get my test done at the UCF campus, it was completely deserted. Most likely due to the fact that no one knows that building exists, I had a heck of a time finding it. As far as the book assignment goes, I'm glad you liked your choice, sounded like you enjoyed. I not a big fan of reading but, I did manage to finish mine, and I actually liked it!
ReplyDeleteI am wondering what the experience in the clinic will be when I go to take my HIV test. One of the first things that the person on the phone mentioned when I called to set up the appointment was that they had counselors available from this hour to that hour. I mean, I just wanted to take the test and leave! I am still deciding if I need to sort of make up information so I feel that the person's time is not being wasted, or just tell the truth about why I am there and just what my intentions are going forward from there. I have been tested recently within that last year, and I am hoping for no surprises.....maybe I will need that counselor after all...
ReplyDeleteBetter to tell the truth. There is a lot you can talk about with your counselor and a lot of information they can then share with you.
ReplyDeleteI remember the first test I ever took. I set up the appointment so I could teach this class more effectively. They were not suppose to call the person's name, but they knew me so the counselor said 'come on in Sharon.' It was funny to see the look on their face when the realized their mistake. I just laughed.
I too, loved the book What Looks Like Crazy. It was my all time favorite.