Brianna Jensen, Jasmine Guanzon,

Josef Beall, Spencer Tenney & Tyler Barnes

English 2010
Professor Baird
13 November 2017

Human Immunodeficiency Virus or (HIV), is a lifelong illness with no cure, it has taken

the lives of more than thirty-five million people. It is transmitted primarily through sexual contact;

however, it can also be transmitted through bodily fluids such as blood or breastmilk. There are

roughly thirty-seven and a half million people in the world living with AIDS, of that thirty-seven

million, twenty-five million of them live in Africa. In addition to this, twelve million of the world's

children infected with HIV, also reside on this continent. What has led to this continents high

rate of AIDS can be attributed largely to the lack education-- without having access to a primary

(elementary) education and/or secondary education, children are not able to gain an

understanding of basic skills and without a formal education comes also a lack of sexual

education. Without this, a child is left with no understanding of not only life skills, but also a lack

of safe sex knowledge to help them on their way to planning a future.

A primary (elementary) education is essential to our well-being, without it one is exposed

to many harmful risks and unknown consequences, we as a human race should be doing

everything we can to ensure that in a place such as South Africa, where HIV is ever present, we

are ensuring they have access to an education. According to the Universal Declaration of

Human Rights, in article 26 it states that Everyone has a right to education. Education shall be

free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be

compulsory (required by law). A primary education according to the Department of Education

and Skills, aims to enable a child to live a full life as a child and to help the child realize his/her

full potential. It is also there to enable a child to develop as a social being through living and co-

operating with others and so contribute to the good of society. It is also there to prepare the

child for a continuum of learning. Education is a key factor in promoting social well-being and
poverty reduction. Women with a better education are more likely to delay marriage and

childbearing, which results in having fewer children and healthier babies.

There is a proven positive association between economic growth and change in

education, growth increases with more education and declines with less. Those who complete a

primary education are half as likely to contract HIV as a person without an education. Without

an education, an individual is more likely to participate in what are thought of as risky

behaviors these can include things such as: having sex at an early age, not taking preventative

measures to protect themselves during sexual encounters, having multiple partners and lastly,

participating in a sexual relationship with an older individual. Due to these behaviors, they have

put themselves at risk of becoming infected. This ignorance will lead to the infection of not only

the individual but onto any and all of their current, future and potential partners. Without proper

teachings, myths have become truths, in one rural area, it is believed that one way to cure HIV

is to have sex with a virgin, this belief has led not only to an increase in rape, but also to an

increase in those who are being exposed and infected with this deadly virus.

Risky behaviors are just one factor in what it is to live with little or no education, another

factor is poverty. Of the 55 poorest countries, 31 of them are among the most affected by HIV.

One study was able to show that those who live in poorer countries or more rural areas, also

showed an increase in HIV prevalence as opposed to those countries or areas where there was

a higher standard of living. Life expectancy for an HIV positive individual will decrease

significantly from that of a person living without HIV. If the HIV sufferer were to be a parent, or

important source of income to a household, it could cause great devastation to a family and

leave them destitute. This is where children suffer the most, because with the loss of the HIV

infected parent or source of income, they are forced to leave school and become the main

source of income for the family, and are not able to continue or finish their education. This

creates mass amounts of orphans who without proper knowledge of HIV prevention and without

adult supervision, are more likely to take unnecessary and dangerous risks. In fact, 87% of the
worlds children living with HIV live in Africa. This has led to the vicious cycle of a growing

generation who is not properly educated, does not practice safe sex and prevention and who

will likely lead a life of an HIV positive individual just as those before who came before them.

This can then turn into an HIV individual practicing unsafe sex and then spreading it to others

and potentially their own children. This is a dangerous and never-ending cycle that only leads to

more loss and devastation to a country, a family, a person.

What was also discovered during one study was that females had a much higher rate of

infection than males. Between the different age ranges, women were anywhere from four to

eight times more likely than men to be infected. This disparity between males and females is

thought to be in part because women are less likely than men to have accurate and

comprehensive knowledge about HIV transmission. Why women have a shortage of knowledge

may be related to the culture, where women are often treated as objects or property. This

gender inequality can contribute to their inability to receive a proper education. Gender

inequality can be commonplace in many of the countries throughout Africa, this may be a

reason as to why women account for over half of the newly infected. Over 300,000 women are

infected annually in Africa, to help put this into perspective, here in the U.S. we have about

200,000 reported cases of HIV annually, this number includes both genders. In Swaziland a

country in Africa, they ranked 128 out of 155 countries on the Gender Inequality Index. To

further illustrate the issue in Africa, of the fifty-four countries there, over thirty of them also fall

under the Gender Inequality Index as showing gender inequality as highly prevalent. This is an

enormous problem in Africa that needs to be addressed. A proper education could bring about

the awareness needed to eliminate this severely oppressive behavior.

Youth education has been proven to provide protection against HIV infection. A basic

education has a general preventative impact, it informs the youth and enables them to make

decisions concerning their own lives. It helps bring about long-term behavioral changes.

Instruction focused on HIV prevention is crucial to closing persistent fundamental gaps in

knowledge. Millions of young people in badly affected countries are ignorant or have

misconceptions about the disease. There is a treatment for those infected, it is the Antiretroviral

treatment, it can dramatically slow the diseases progress as well as prevent the transmission of

the virus from one person to another. Though without the knowledge of such a treatment many

go without, additionally without knowledge of the virus in some cases, many go on living with it

and not even realize they have it and will continue to spread it.

There are many organizations out there trying to make a difference, helping those who

need it most. With treatment, means a life without risk and the knowledge to teach those who

are not yet at risk. Mothers2mothers (m2m) is an organization out there helping African mothers

who are either prenatal or postnatal in helping to prevent mother-to-child transmission. Nine out

of 10 children with HIV were infected by their mother either through breastfeeding, pregnancy or

labor. For many it is simply unavoidable due to circumstance, mostly in part because they are

living in poverty. Though m2m has seen a great reduction in mother-to-child transmission, more

can be done. However, without proper funding, they are currently only able to operate in eight

countries in Africa. According to m2m, fifteen years ago nearly fifteen hundred babies were

infected globally, today that number is four hundred, m2m has helped achieve this 75% drop in

infection rates. They have achieved this through their Mentor Mother program, where they are

empowering women living with HIV, by employing them, paying them a wage and allowing them

to spread the word to other mothers living with HIV to come and take part in the treatment that

will help them live a longer life and create an awareness from a mother to a child that there is a

life without HIV, a life without worry of spreading the disease. Without intervention, up to 40% of

infants born to an HIV mother will contract the virus, with treatment, this number is reduced to a

mere 2%. m2ms mission is to eliminate HIV infections in children, to reduce maternal and child

mortality, improve the health of women, their partners and families, to reduce stigma,

discrimination and promote gender equality.

 This is merely one organization, there are many more out there with this same goal,

wanting to help prevent the spread of this deadly disease and in turn help create an awareness

of the issue and additionally wanting to help education those who need it most. We are all in this

together, we should be taking care of, and looking out for each other, regardless of how many

miles and how much distance is between us. It isnt fair to the young and innocent children in

these HIV infected countries, that they should be at risk before they are even given a chance at

life. Educating the young or the old, creating an awareness and spreading the knowledge of

preventative measures, and access to treatments is crucial to the elimination of HIV.