Religion teacher training workshop

HIV/AIDS

SESSION 5: THE IMPACT OF HIV/AIDS INFECTION

OBJECTIVES: At the end of this session, participants will be able to: 1. Describe the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemics on the society 2. Identify the influence of social, cultural and economic factors on preventing the HIV infection 3. Identify the HIV/AIDS effect at an individual level, the effect on feelings and behaviours Activities Methods Length Impact of HIV/AIDS on Working in 30 min the society small groups Group discussion Influence of the Group 30 min cultural, social and discussions economic factors on Brainstorming HIV/AIDS Impact of HIV/AIDS at Group role 30 min an individual level play (parking game) TOTAL GUIDELINES: I. THE IMPACT OF THE HIV/AIDS INFECTION ON THE SOCIETY (30 min.) 1 hour 30 Materials

Material for the participants Influence of the cultural, social and economic factors on HIV/AIDS prevention Trainer material Statements for the collective role play

Divide the participants into small groups of 3-4 persons and ask them to identify the long-term effects of HIV/AIDS infection. Give them 10 minutes for discussions, and then ask the participants to present their conclusions in front of the entire group. List the participants conclusions on the flipchart. Make sure the list includes issues related to social and cultural impact, the impact on health, education, economic effects, effects on the familys spiritual life. Conduct a group discussion on the general impact of the HIV/AIDS phenomenon on the society. Ask the participants:

Session 5 : Impact of the HIV/AIDS infection

Religion teacher training workshop

HIV/AIDS

What do you think are the means for reducing the effect of HIV infection? Possible answers: Social and economic development programs, aimed at ensuring better living conditions for HIV/AIDS affected families. Health and legislation policies ensuring HIV prevention and the protection of HIV/AIDS affected persons. Education programs. Coordination and partnerships among organizations fighting for HIV prevention. Improving working conditions and the working environment. Enhancing the quality of medical care What are the ways to reduce the HIV infection effect at a personal, family and community level that the school can become involved in, and how should that happen? Do you think AIDS has only negative effects? What other (positive) effects might the HIV/AIDS have at community level? Possible answers: Catalyst for reshaping and involving the community in local programs, to the benefit of community members. Promoting Christian values (fidelity, chastity). Opening free discussions on sex and sexuality, especially within extremely religious communities where such topics are considered taboo. Promoting tolerance and social acceptance of HIV/AIDS affected persons II. THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC FACTORS ON HIV/AIDS (30 min)

Start off this activity by providing a definition of culture. Culture could be defined as an integrated system of acquired behavioral models, peculiar to the members of a specific group. Culture includes everything that the members of that certain group think, say or do, and it may encompass a series of popular habits, experiences, values, social norms, beliefs, rituals, practices. (Randall-David, E. 1994. Culturally Competent HIV Counseling and Education) Underline that, although there may be differences among the members of the same cultural group, it holds equally true that there may be resemblances between the members of various cultural communities. Diversity lies in these differences. Ask the participants to name the cultural, social and economic factors that might negatively influence HIV prevention. Divide the flipchart sheet into 3 columns titled: Cultural factors, Social factors and Economic factors; write down the participants
Session 5 : Impact of the HIV/AIDS infection 2

Religion teacher training workshop

HIV/AIDS

answers under the proper heading. Encourage the group to provide as many answers as possible, specify that they can be about attitudes, beliefs or facts. Possible answers: Cultural factors premarital sex is easier to accept by men rather than women; AIDS is considered a deserved punishment for an immoral conduct the church is against the use of condom man is considered the decision-maker of the entire family girls are educated to obey mans will divorce(e)s or widowe(r)s are allowed to have other sexual partner(s ) Social factors people are reluctant to talk about sex and their past sexual experiences; inequality between men and women, including the impossibility of refusing sexual intercourse (even in marriage); the young are not provided with the adequate education for HIV/AIDS prevention beliefs that people suffering from AIDS should go to special schools and hospitals adultery is much more of an issue in case of women than for men Economic factors women have insufficient financial resources, so they may accept a sexual relation for material benefits; poverty leads to malnutrition and affects the health condition; medicines are not always available for HIV/AIDS affected people; the poor cannot always buy condoms even if they want to, they have other priorities Repeat the exercise, this time discussing the positive influence of cultural, social and economic factors in HIV prevention. Write down the answers on the flipchart sheet. Possible answers: Cultural factors family value; Christian ethics encourage abstinence and fidelity; philanthropic initiatives Social factors there are many representatives of the civil society, active NGOs in HIV/AIDS prevention government support to those living with HIV/AIDS legislative initiatives for preventing and condemning violence against women (even in marriage); HIV testing and counseling services; introducing sex ed classes in school Economic factors

Session 5 : Impact of the HIV/AIDS infection

Religion teacher training workshop

HIV/AIDS

financial support provided to HIV/AIDS affected families; professional re-qualification programs, also available to HIV affected people; anti-retroviral medicines through national health programs by the Ministry of Health condoms are affordable

The two lists (containing positive and negative influences) shall be posed in a visible spot and they shall be returned to during the last session, while developing the action plans for preventing and reducing the effects of HIV/AIDS at community level. Hand out the material called The influence of social, cultural and economic factor on HIV prevention. III. HIV/AIDS IMPACT AT AN INDIVIDUAL LEVEL (30 min)

Tell the participants that what they are going to do next is do an exercise where they are all invited to become involved. Hand out a note to each of the participants, containing the description of a character and tell them that they will have to use the next 10 minutes to play the role they were handed out and to impersonate that character. [Note to trainer: the trainer team shall prepare adequate roles depending on the attitudes that have been identified in the participants; the purpose of this exercise is for the participants to understand how devastating the attitudes of the members of the community can be on the HIV-infected people, aside from the impact of the disease per se. If the group has identified people who are highly sensitive, they will be given roles that are less dangerous] Allow 1-2 minutes for the participants to read the character description and to get used to the role. Specify that they are not allowed to talk amongst themselves. Then, encourage them to stand up and to lign up next to each other, in a larger area of the room. Specify that you will be making all sorts of statements to which they can give positive or negative answers. If the answer of the character they are impersonating is yes they will have to make one step ahead. If the answer is negative, they will stay put. [examples: a young homosexual man could not have lunch with his family and his boyfriend; a woman who knows she is HIV positive, has run out of arguments to tell her family when she refuses to donate blood for a relative; a child that is suffering from AIDS is reluctant when it comes to helping one of his friends, for fear he might spread the disease]. Take turns to read the statements in the trainer material called Statements for the collective role play. If need be, read out the statement twice, slowly so that all the participants can understand it properly and give them one minute to think about it

Session 5 : Impact of the HIV/AIDS infection

Religion teacher training workshop

HIV/AIDS

Notify them that at the end of the exercise the participant distribution will no be equal, although they have all started at the same point. Those who will have to play the roles of people who are seen by the society to be less moral or those living with HIV/AIDS will be most disadvantaged. Ask the participants to keep their respective positions and to say how they feel at the end of the exercise. Start with those who are in the last positions and move up to those in front. Thank the participants and invite them back to their seats. Tell them that they have now become themselves again and they dont have to play their characters anymore. From this (personal) position ask them if they have changed the way they thing about certain categories of people, whose values and behaviors are different from theirs. Ask them: Do you think that people deserve to feel the way our characters felt? Is it fair that they receive different treatment? How would you fell if you were in their place, discriminated against?

Depending on the answers given by the participants, make a quick summary. Mention that the next session will focus more on discrimination against and stigmatization of the people living with HIV/AIDS.

Session 5 : Impact of the HIV/AIDS infection

Religion teacher training workshop

HIV/AIDS

Materials for participants THE INFLUENCE OF CULTURAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC FACTORS Negative influences Cultural factors premarital sex is easier to accept by men rather than women; AIDS is considered a deserved punishment for an immoral conduct the church is against the use of the condom man is considered the decision-maker of the family girls are educated to obey mans will divorce(e)s or widowe(r)s are allowed to have other sexual partner(s) the media presents sexual intercourse in a non-favorable way; women are treated as mere sexual objects Social factors people are reluctant to talk about their past sexual experiences inequality between men and women, including the impossibility of refusing sexual intercourse (even in marriage) the young are not provided with the adequate education for HIV/AIDS prevention beliefs that people suffering from AIDS should go to special schools and hospitals adultery is much more of an issue in case of women than for men Economic factors women have insufficient financial resources, so they may accept a sexual relation for material benefits poverty leads to malnutrition and affects the health condition anti-retroviral medicine is not always available for those who are HIV-infected those who are poor have other priorities than to take care of their health Positive influences Cultural factors family value; Christian ethics encourage abstinence and fidelity; philanthropic initiatives, providing support to the people in need Social factors there are many representatives of the civil society, active NGOs in HIV/AIDS prevention government support to those living with HIV/AIDS legislative initiatives for preventing and condemning violence against women (even in marriage); HIV testing and counseling services; introducing sex ed classes in school Economic factors

Session 5 : Impact of the HIV/AIDS infection

Religion teacher training workshop

HIV/AIDS

financial support provided to HIV/AIDS affected families professional re-qualification programs, also available to HIV affected people; anti-retroviral medicines through national health programs affordable condoms, that are easy to get

Session 5 : Impact of the HIV/AIDS infection

Religion teacher training workshop

HIV/AIDS

Trainer material STATEMENTS FOR THE ROLE PLAY Possible roles: Young homosexual man, has had a boyfriend for a couple of month who confessed that he had had several partners in the past; the family knows nothing about their sons sexual orientation Man who has been involved in a stable relationship for 10 years Married man, has recently had an affair with an office lady co-worker about whom le later learned that she HIV-infected Physician who got stung by a needle/scalpel while treating an AIDS patient A woman who has recently found out that she is HIV-positive, when she took a test while being pregnant Married woman, faithful to her husband, persuaded of the solidity of her relationship and that they are faithful to each other Young woman engaged, wishes to stay a virgin until she gets married; she has tried some sexual games with her boyfriend(they kissed, took their clothes off, touched, but without touching their genitalia) Young female student, has occasional sex with various men to get material compensation (money she uses to pay for her tuition fees), and she always uses a condom Woman who is HIV-positive and is married,; her husband is the only one who is informed about the situation Person involved in the sex trade; not all clients accept to use the condom, but they pay double Single man, with a successful career, who has been diagnosed HIV-positive for 2 years, who is in a very good physical and psychological condition 14 year old HIV-positive child, is aware of his situation and his parents have taught him how to behave in order to protect his own health and the others Statements: If someone in the family urgently needed a blood transfusion, you would donate right away If someone asked you for your nail clipper/razor blade, you would give it to him/her right away If your parents invite you for dinner together with your partner, you take them up on their invitation right away. If your neighbors could see what was happening in your bedroom, they would still treat you with respect You could make love with your partner, no matter the circumstances You would not think twice about taking an HIV test, if needed, in order to go abroad

Session 5 : Impact of the HIV/AIDS infection

Religion teacher training workshop

HIV/AIDS

If you expected a baby, you would decide that the baby definitely needs to be breastfed, for a couple of months at least. You can go and confess light-heartedly If your colleagues or your superiors knew more about your life, they could fire you or avoid you

Session 5 : Impact of the HIV/AIDS infection