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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 2, 1994)
ju st o u t ▼ so p to m b o r 2 , 1 9 9 4 T 17 HIV Y outh and Rethinking our assumptions can lead to increased communication and eff ectiveness by Jim Clay yotces , *'**«-, | MV t-«l N ' I KKNIUlIt t t h ill I t ’/ I I » t w ln * W«H| •wr«lk,'i 0*r M il Hr, ili'^»«,v 4 |,|), r I I I « » » -IM .»» •* V.W h «v r In , l M l t I m l» , ni ih iw > m O § Q. adults. For me, a more respectful and useful way conventional approach to discuss to frame this issue is to drop the notion of ing HIV prevention among adoles invulnerability altogether, and to think of youth cents mi ght begin by citing research, as being inexperienced in vulnerability and loss. things like seropre valence data, rates Not only does this remove a stigmatizing gener of condom use, possibly the inci alization, dence of other sexually transmitted diseases and but it suggests a possible solution: Young people may make more healthy choices teen pregnancies, or the abuse of alcohol and as a result of gaining experience. Then, an appro other drugs. I would like to take a different priate role for caring adults might be to assist approach. young people in safely getting experience around Many of us working in HIV prevention ser loss. vices find ourselves caught in an increasing It seems far more realistic to expect success sense of urgency. It can seem to us that not from an approach that offers to expand personal enough people are working hard enough, or soon experience than from one that aims to increase enough, to stop this epidemic. one’s sense of personal vulnerability. If nothing I’ve discovered only recently that this ur else, engaging people in the former is likely to be gency can get in my way of being able to view the easier. situation more objectively. Lately I’ve been tak I’ve found that expanded personal experi ing an occasional “time-out” from the data and ence around loss seems to support preventive spending time recalling what I’ve learned from behavior among adolescents. A young friend of my mistakes and successes, and rethinking my mine volunteers for an HIV service organiza assumptions. tion, delivering meals to persons with AIDS. He expresses a very clear understanding of vulner ne of the most common assumptions, and ability. A young woman with whom I’ve worked the foundation of numerous adolescent is part of her father’s partner’s care team. She HIV prevention strategies, is: ‘Teens be knows about loss. Both of these young people are lieve they are invulnerable. It’s hard to persuade committed to safer behaviors, and, although I them to make behavior changes because they have no supporting data, I’m certain that part of think ‘It can’t happen to me.’ ” I’m skeptical of this assumption because I their commitment derives from First-hand expe rience with death and dying, loss and hope. know that much the same can be said about A O ther assumptions that need rethinking are he assumption in which I find myself most found in the question that inevitably comes often trapped is: "This is all so hopelessly up when people (usually adults) are plan complicated that the best we can do is just ning HIV prevention strategies: “What message struggle on.” should we send kids?” On a research project lasting from 1988 to 1992, I’m amazed at how many assumptions are 1 spoke with thousands of young people from very contained within those six words. First, there’s the diverse backgrounds and cultures, gathering their assumption that we need to be sending a message views on what would and wouldn’t work in pre to them. Dropping that assumption might allow us venting HIV infections among their peers. We to consider other options: for example, how we can discussed the standard approach to health educa make ourselves available to listen to them, how we tion (an adult lecturing young people on facts and can provide permission and opportunities for young judgments), that of being told the dangers of sex— people to develop their own messages, or provide without acknowledgment of its pleasures and joy— safe venues for youth to gain their own experiences by educators who have an inadequate understand around loss and vulnerability. ing of what the life of a teen is like today. Part of the Another assumption in this question is that the research protocol for the project was to ask young message sent and the message received will be one people what advice they would give to adults who and the same. Anyone working with adolescents want to do a better job of supporting young people (or with people in general) knows that these can be during this time of HIV and AIDS. Whenever I get two totally different things. In place of assuming caught up in the complexity of it all, 1 try to recall that it is we who should be sending the messages, the advice they offered: “Tell the whole truth. we could ask, “What messages might young people Don’t preach. Get real.” send to their peers?” Then we might observe that Sometimes I think I just make it more difficult we adults may not be the best people to answer that than it is. question, at least not by ourselves, and we might want to include more young people in the process. We might also consider the barriers which adults Jim Clay is the lead planner fo r the Multnomah create to the work that must be done, and revise our Commission on Children and Families, in the question to “What message should we send to (for Office o f Multnomah County Chairwoman example) the school board?” Beverly Stein, and a longtime HIV activist. O T