On 1 december this year, the 34th world aids day, the theme of the campaign was “life at the top: ending hiv/aids equality”. Five departments, including the ministry of education, have recently issued the opinion on the comprehensive strengthening and improvement of school health and health education in the new age, which calls for the implementation of the thematic aids prevention education mandate and the strengthening of education on adolescence, sexual ethics and sexual responsibility。
How old are children for hiv education? How to educate children about aids? In recent days, the china education report weibo news public news has conducted an online survey involving more than 2,000 parents, 46 per cent of whom are parents of primary school pupils, 29 per cent of middle school students and 12 per cent of high school students. The results show that more than 90 per cent of parents believe that learning about aids is important for their children, but 35 per cent of parents indicate that they have never educated their children despite their occasional attention to aids。
We need to start with the dolls
Data released at the sixth china seminar on hiv/aids education for adolescents show that, as of october 2020, there were still 1,045 people living with hiv in china, with over 95 per cent sex transmission. In 2020, nearly 3,000 new cases were reported among young students aged 15 to 24, with sexual transmission accounting for 98. 6 per cent。
Ma chaehua, professor at the school of public health of beijing university and deputy director of the institute of adolescent and adolescent health of beijing university, noted that although there is now an increase in knowledge among young students about aids, there is still a problem of uneven knowledge and segregation. She stated: “many students consider schools to be very safe and aids has nothing to do with themselves, which leads to the failure to establish the right preventive attitudes and behaviours.”
Zhang fokjie, head of the national health and health commission's working group of clinical experts on aids and director of the center for the treatment and research of infectious diseases at beijing ground hospital, university of medicine, has been exposed to many cases of aids among young people. “we have not only university students, but also middle and high school students, and as a doctor of infection, my worst pain is seeing young people infected.” zhang fokjie said that hiv prevention education was very important and that modern human sexuality was growing at an earlier stage, and that it was hoped that schools would disseminate information on sexually transmitted diseases, including aids, in a multifaceted manner。
The survey found that 44 per cent of parents considered it more appropriate to educate their children about the prevention of aids at the primary level, 46 per cent considered it more appropriate to educate them about the prevention of aids at the lower secondary level, and considered that 7 per cent and 3 per cent, respectively, were most suitable at the upper secondary and tertiary levels. “aids education in the fifth and sixth grades of primary school should have been introduced even earlier.” ma caihua recommended that teachers and parents integrate hiv prevention education into health education, help children build healthy lifestyles and habits, and guide children to ethical norms and non-discrimination against aids patients。
The secretary-general of the chinese society for sexuality stated that hiv prevention education was an important part of sex education and that it would be preferable to achieve full scientific literacy in early adolescence。
It is important to avoid the transmission of negative emotions
In the survey, 65 per cent of parents indicated that the reference to aids felt nervous and feared. Thirty-four per cent of parents indicated that they were reluctant to shake hands and embrace aids patients for fear of infection。
“we need to avoid, in particular, the transmission of negative and fearful sentiments in our aids-related knowledge campaigns. On the one hand, we need to recognize the dangers of aids and, on the other, to build determination and confidence in its prevention and treatment.” in the view of children, the most effective means of preventing aids is through comprehensive and scientific education. He recommended that parents and teachers actively support sex education in schools and families so that children and society can have sexual health and civilization。
The survey found that, at present, children are mainly informed about aids through the internet, followed by school outreach, parent education, media campaigns, etc. At the same time, 19 per cent of children have never had any knowledge of aids. Ma caihua stated that because adolescents lack the ability to identify and gain accurate and comprehensive knowledge about hiv prevention on the internet, it was important to avoid children attending their own school online and to learn under the educational guidance of parents and teachers。
In the survey, individual netizens also reported that the challenge of conducting hiv/aids education and sex education was mainly “no professional teachers to teach and how to do better”. “in advancing aids education, teachers must use forms of instruction in which students can participate, such as case teaching methods, panel discussions, debates, etc.” said mataihua。
Education is the best vaccine against aids
There is a long way to go to prevent hiv/aids among adolescents
In his view, education against aids is more than simple indoctrination, and it is hoped that there will be a better integration of classroom and school activities to provide students with comprehensive, scientific and systematic access to hiv prevention and to raise awareness of aids prevention. At the same time, she suggested that it was hoped that primary and secondary schools would enhance the integration of knowledge on hiv testing and on prevention before and after exposure。
Children's independence suggests that schools can be richer and more diverse in terms of the content and form of education for hiv prevention, and that, in addition to the form of brochures or classroom presentations, they can also conduct video-knowledge competitions and peer education. “the content of sex education may also be tailored to the characteristics of different ages. This will help students to develop positive attitudes and attitudes and to prevent aids more effectively. The children say。
“it is our duty to walk into the campus and to learn from our expertise. It is hoped that every young person will grow up healthy, away from sexually transmitted diseases, including aids.” zhang foji said。
According to the survey, effective prevention of aids requires not only efforts to supplement “sex education” for children, but also the development of educational mechanisms for the prevention of hiv/aids in schools. The media must increase information and awareness of hiv/aids issues, and society as a whole must work together to combat hiv/aids and build safe barriers for children. This newspaper, beijing, 1 december
Internet view
@chife: hope to make sex education as universal as anti-fraud education。
@salva: for hiv prevention education, parents are the most in need of learning and the first to educate their children, and do not rely on schools for everything。
@autumnslows: increased ability of students to gather, screen, edit and process information, and effective use of information by students to avoid negative effects。
@lihukou people's hospital liu xiaolian: not only sex education, but also non-sharing toothbrushes, razor blades, nail clippings, etc. Parents of children under 10 years of age need to strengthen care and safe education。
