In 2006, the Ambassador’s HIV/AIDS Prevention Program collaborated with the Tobago AIDS Society and the United StatesCenters for Disease Control to implement an HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention program for young adults between the ages of 15 and 24 years. Workshops on HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention were held at three secondary schools. The lectures and activities were designed to change attitudes in ways that reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STI) with specific emphasis on HIV/AIDS.
During the workshops, students discussed what HIV/AIDS is, how it is contracted, its impact on the body, as well as the social challenges faced by the infected and affected. The relationship between drug use – legal and illegal – and HIV/AIDS was also raised with the students. Finally, the groups talked about risky behavior and self esteem.
Seventy five students participated in the program. The workshops succeeded in increasing awareness amongst teenagers and young adults about how HIV is contracted. Risk factors and risky behaviors were identified with a view to risk reduction. Student also considered the epidemic from different perspectives, specifically addressing stigmas and misconceptions about interacting with HIV infected persons.
For more information about the HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention programs please visit the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief website at http://www.pepfar.gov/.
To learn more about the Centers for Disease Control, please
see the CDC website at http://cdc.gov/.
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