|
Photos
By Priscilla Greear, Staff Writer
ATLANTA-Over 80 junior high and high school teenagers and about 40 of their parents gathered for the archdiocesan HIV/AIDS Ministry's workshop on AIDS prevention through abstinence held on Feb. 8 at St. Anthony's Church.
The program entitled "A Beautiful Body-A Beautiful Soul" began with an opening talk by Rick Cooper, health educator with the Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness, after which parents attended the session on communication with their teenagers led by him and Regina Kay, Ph.D., a psychologist who teaches parenting classes and is program coordinator for the National Catholic AIDS Network. Teens simultaneously gathered for the teen session led by Michelle Allen, community liaison with the Fulton County health department. Tanya Stevenson and Sara Fesfazghi of Catholic Social Services were facilitators.
"I was really gratified to see the number of parents that accompanied their teenagers. It was obvious because of the response and participation that there is a great need for and interest in AIDS education," said Sister Nora Ryan, OP, archdiocesan HIV/AIDS ministry coordinator.
Sister Ryan was assisted in planning by members of her HIV/AIDS Ministry Advisory Committee: Janis Griffin, Our Lady of Lourdes Church; Joan Moore, St. Anthony's; Regina Sanford, St. Paul of the Cross Church; Aaron Wetherington, Sts. Peter and Paul Church. Other planners were Kay, Father T.J. Meehan, pastor of St. Anthony's, and Father Bruce Wilkinson, pastor of Most Blessed Sacrament Church, Atlanta. Teens from their churches and from St. John the Evangelist Church, Hapeville, were invited.
Sister Ryan said that planners chose to start their programming targeting youth because, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, people under 25 are estimated to now make up half of all new HIV infections in the United States. Teen girls account for 58 percent of new AIDS cases reported among people ages 13-19, and the infection rates are disproportionately high for African-American and Latino youth.
"HIV/AIDS prevention education programs, consistent with the social and moral teaching of the Catholic Church, are extremely important for our teens and young adults. Messages regarding sexual behavior and values are impacting their lives from many sources-television programs, the Internet, local news, music and other daily experiences," said Sister Ryan. "Let us take the initiative to talk about sexual behavior with our youth so they get the right messages from the right persons-their parents and church community."
Cooper, in an interview later, said during presentations he noted the important role the church plays in education in bringing parents and teens together. "It's kind of a new dialogue for them (parents) on things they need to discuss with teens."
He spoke of how many teens use alcohol and drugs which can "sway behavior and cloud judgment" regarding sex. He also emphasized the important role of the family and school system in reducing risk for becoming sexually active and, consequently, the risk for HIV. One example is how some schools have V-clubs, or "virgin clubs," that empower members. They need this type of support as they face pressure to become sexually active from peers, the media and other sources. "We're really giving them some examples of different things they can look at and examine in ways to protect themselves," he said. Before marriage, "not being sexually active at all is one of the best ways to protect yourself."
Cooper also spoke of how "a lot (of teens) have a lot of ambitions and things they want to be and how can you do that with the presence of HIV?"
Cooper offered the example to parents of how they can promote HIV prevention by getting more involved in their PTA groups, using curriculums helping them and their teens to dialogue, and getting more active in planning post-prom, supervised activities to discourage sex.
Kay later said she suggested parents acknowledge their discomfort in talking with their teens about sex, drug use and sexually transmitted disease, which can lessen the anxiety. She also discussed the high suicide rate, particularly among boys who are questioning their sexual orientation, and how parents need to be aware of the USCCB document "Always Our Children."
"Teenagers are naturally programmed to act like they know everything and to resist hearing things from parents. Although they act resistant they are really listening and they need this information to come from parents," she said. "Parents need the information on how to talk to kids and kids need the information on how to keep themselves alive," said Kay, regarding the value of the event.
For example, she said, many teenagers don't know that their sexual activity can put them at risk for sexually transmitted diseases, even if they don't engage in intercourse. The Catholic Church opposes the use of condoms as part of its opposition to the use of artificial birth control and teaches chastity to teens. However, she also advised parents to give children who become sexually active the facts about condoms, which reduce the spread of sexually transmitted disease but have a failure rate. "They should urge them toward abstinence but accurately answer questions about condoms," she said.
"I hope parents took away from it a sense they were never in it alone, that other parents felt similarly, that discussing the issue with your kid is important enough to get past our discomfort," Kay said.
Allen in the teen session also stressed abstinence to the youth and answered many questions. Sister Ryan said youth showed a "high level of interest" and "got involved."
"I was overwhelmed at the response, that there were over 80 young people and their parents."
Sister Ryan also expressed gratitude for advisory committee members' "leadership and support that got the program off the ground," and said she plans to bring similar ones to Latino and other parish communities. The event title reflects the message that "at the core of any of our sexual behavior is a relationship rooted in God and out faith and values."
For information about the document "Always Our Children," go to the Web site: www.usccb.org.
|
QUILT DANCE--Kenya Griffin entertains the teens with a moving dance embracing a quilt, which contained dozens of squares representing those who had died of HIV/AIDS. 
A SISTER AMONG SISTERS--Sister Nora Ryan, OP, HIV/AIDS ministry director, stands in between sisters Ashley and Antara Chapman. The two girls were among the 80 teens who attended the Feb. 8 workshop about preventing HIV/AIDS.