www.straight-talk.or.

ug
Words of Journalists for a day
wisdom
"What the
mind of man
can conceive
and believe, it
Students of Bukoto High School getting
can achieve." together as 'Journalists for a Day'. They
Napoleon Hill er 2006
wrote the A to Z of HIV/AIDS prevention.
temb See page 2 for a quiz on the A-Z of HIV.
o. 9 Sep
Vol. 13 N

We can end this suffering

This does not have to be our life
Depending on our
actions, HIV can
increase, stay the
same or decline.

Untold suffering
that we can
prevent...

HIV has caused us In the other photo, a
unbearable suffering. mother holds her son.
We have lost over What if that were your
one million loved mother? What if that were
ones, and another you? Can we continue
like this?
one million have HIV
today.
Usually Straight Talk does
not publish such sad
Look at the child's pictures. But we need to
face in the picture say it loudly:
above. About one Uganda may be losing the
million of us have fight. Says
watched our parents Dr Apuuli Kihumuro,
die of AIDS. "Oh, director of the Uganda
Mummy, I miss you," AIDS Commission:
"The epidemic is getting
wrote one orphan girl to
Straight Talk. on top of us."
Last year 130,000 of us got around the country. This Girls mostly get infected
infected, and HIV rose in is bad news. In the past when they marry. Girls,
10 antenatal clinics Uganda has been able to always test with your
push HIV down. partner and do not marry
a man who refuses to test
Some of us are struggling or wants to have other
to stop the behaviours
women.
that allow HIV to spread.
Sex with a person of
Many males still have unknown HIV status is
multiple partners. Boys, high risk.
with each partner, your
chance of infection rises.
HIV is high everywhere but highest in Central and the Central North
with over 8% of people aged 15-49 infected. It is rising in West Nile
and Karamoja, areas that have been less affected in the past.

What is happening with HIV? Keep your goal in mind

Three scenarios are possible. 1. HIV stays the same -- high but Hello, beautiful young people. Welcome back
steady, infecting about 6% of adults. 2. HIV infects more and to third term. Oh no! No fees? You are now out-
more people. 3. We relaunch our efforts at preventing infection of-school? You can get back! Rush to get an Stay safe
and HIV goes down! income earning project.

Stay busy. Form a listening group to a Straight

The worst case: we
relax and HIV starts to
increase. This can
happen!
We keep on with our current
behaviour: HIV prevalence
remains the same. Not good
enough!
The best scenario:
we take action and
HIV goes down!
Talk radio show. Join a peer educator training or
NAADS group.
Does your church want youth workers? Your
community may offer more opportunities than you
think. Look around.
Even if you feel lonely and worried, do not get into
sex. Sex will consume the money
you earn for fees.
2 Straight Talk, September 2006 3

Fight the root causes of HIV

Straight Talk, September 2006

Abstinence, faithfulness In 1989 Phily

Bongoley
and condoms help protect against HIV. Lutaya be-
came the
But have you ever stopped to think why first Ugandan
even people who know the ABC of AIDS still to go public
get infected and infect others? Read these about his HIV
Shame, secrecy, stigma
Please,
pages to find out about what makes all of
us vulnerable to HIV.
husband. Let us
test for HIV. Gender status. He
was mocked
No. I'm the boss. I
problems Some students refuse to be The uninfected run the risk
by people
Negative make all decisions.
Did you know that girls
taught by teachers they
think have HIV. This is
of getting infected by
people who are too fright- who thought
aged 15-19 are nine times unkind and discriminatory. ened to test or disclose that he wanted
attitudes more likely to have HIV
than boys the same age. When you stigmatise
they have HIV. People living
with HIV are denied the
money. Now
we admire
Do you think that boys are people with HIV, it be- care and respect that they
more clever than girls? Do It is true. Girls need need and have a right to..
him for his
comes difficult for them to
you think that boys should
the power and open up and go for care.
courage.
make all the decisions?
Such beliefs expose you to authority over their Never stigmatise.
risks of HIV -- whether you own lives so that they Other people who may or Support and encourage
are a boy or a girl. can also stay safe. may not be infected be- people living with HIV to
come too frightened to open up. Wouldn't you
Here are other negative By the way, are you a test. HIV becomes a dan- want humane treatment
attitudes and practices: gender- sensitive teenager? gerous secret. if you had HIV?
•Boys having many • Girls having sex for to marry early. Look out for the gender
partners to show they are money or things. • Relatives taking the test in the next Straight
men. • Parents forcing children property of orphans. Talk.
Is poverty a factor? According to Uganda's HIV/AIDS Sero-
behavioural Survey in 2004-5, some of the poorest areas,
High levels of STDs Love such as West Nile and Karamoja, have the lowest proportion
STDs are a huge problem in Uganda and they are We usually think that only
getting worse. In the last five years, STDs have doubled bad things cause you to get of people living with HIV. HIV infection is highest among
in females and tripled in males! infected with HIV. But good people in towns, women, and widows and divorced people.
things also make you
The most common STD is now genital herpes. It has no vulnerable.
cure and causes many small blister-like wounds on your One of those good things is Infection is also associated with STDs,
private parts. These come and go. n Hav
love. It is beautiful to fall in a t i o and multiple partners, and inconsistent use of
love. Everyone falls in love ri m i n
ls p a r t ing ma
There is a powerful link between HIV and genital Discinst gir o f C n e r s , ny condoms.
sooner or later. Everybody aga e n o n d low
herpes. The sores are like many open doors through needs and wants love. o m s use
which HIV can simply walk into your body. A staggering wom
52% of females and 46% of males aged over 15 have Are you in love or do you
genital herpes. See a health worker if you have sores or think that you might be? Here are some of the root causes of

Po iole
al

v
problem on your genitals. ur

we nc
Try to control your feelings.
cult the HIV epidemic. Remember some of

r i e in
Do not let them lead you
ve e s Get a social vaccine against HIV

n
ThIs photo shows a cervix with into sex and relationship t i these are within you so you have the
ga t i c

ho rel
Ne r a c
genital herpes wounds. complications.

m ati
sex e and
p power to control them. For example, So far the best vaccines we have are

ty

es on
Does the other person also

STDs
uali

: sh
love you or are they taking
you exercise a lot of control over when "social vaccines". A social vaccine is

Lov
advantage of your feelings
to get sex? and with whom you have sex. something we do such as:

ip
• talk to our parents

An illustration of the head of
the penis with genital herpes
blisters.
This drawing shows the
position of the cervix at the
mouth of the womb.
Kibanzanga High School, Kasese. We urge other
students to abstain from things that can spoil their
education.
Medical interventions help but cannot prevent or cure HIV/AIDS
Vaccines
Scientists are urgently
seeking a vaccine through
trials in Uganda and
elsewhere in the world.
But the virus is complex,
and a successful vaccine is
still many years away.
And remember, vaccines
are not a CURE for
disease. They prevent
disease by teaching your
immune system to
recognise the disease-
causing agent.
Unlike with diseases like
measles and \TB which
have successful vaccines,
doctors have not been
able to teach the immune
system how to demobilise
the HIV virus.
ART
There are over 70,000 HIV
positive Ugandans who are
benefitting from Anti-
Retroviral Therapy (ART).
People with HIV need ART
when their CD4 count
drops below 200 or when
they get very sick.
But ART does not cure
HIV/AIDS. You can still
infect others. And if you
stop taking the ART, you fall
sick again.
Microbicides
Doctors are searching for a
jelly or cream that females
can insert into their vagina
to kill any HIV that might be
in the semen of the male
that they are having sex
with. So far doctors have
not yet found a successful
substance that does this,
but research is promising.
A microbicide that works
well may be five years
away.
Circumcision
Removing the foreskin
from the penis may
somewhat lower chances
of HIV infection for both
the male and the female he
is having sex with. But
circumcised men and
their partners still get
HIV.
PMTCT or PPTCT
Prevention of mother or
parent-to-child
transmission of HIV is
available in over 200 sites.
If the mother with HIV
s
HIV is a difficult virus. It has
nine genes, five of which are
constantly changing.
follows the treatment from
start to finish, it lowers the
chances of the baby getting
HIV by about 70%. But
about 30% of babies still get
infected.
There are other problems.
• stay in school
• respect ourselves and
the opposite sex.
Most women do
QUIZ 1
not deliver in
health centres, and All these all help us to control our
women who test
positive are often
Straight Talk curiosity about sex and our sexual and
love feelings,and to discuss HIV
wants to hear
frightened to tell
their husbands. testing, condom use and faithfulness
All in all, only 2% of from you with our future partner.
women and babies
Send us the story of a
QUIZ 2: THE A to Z of HIV
who need the
medicine are person you know who has
prevention
receiving it! This is HIV. What do you think
disappointing. Now
made them vulnerable to
the Ministry of
Health wants all getting infected? What Discuss with your Straight Talk club the
was the root cause? Do
husbands to test A-Z of HIV prevention. Find a word
with their wives. not use their name.
beginning with each letter of the
Testing for HIV If you are living with HIV,
alphabet which says something about
Testing HIV negative does we would also like to preventing HIV. For example, J might
not protect you from HIV. It
is only your behaviour after hear from you. stand for Justice for people with HIV
the test that will keep you Write to Straight Talk, PO and Z for Zerograzing. A big prize
negative. Stay safe! Box 22366, Kampala. awaits the most original entry.
4 Straight Talk, September 2006

Forced sex
I had a relationship with

Dear
a boy who later lured
me into sex. I did not like
it. But to make it worse,

SYFA
now I have lost weight.
Could I have contracted
HIV? A Namata, 15,
S1, St Janam Luwum, 3666
2236
Boxx22
O.Bo
P.P.O.
SS, Kampala P A L A
M
Talk to a trusted adult KK AA M P A L A
about how you are
feeling. You need to do Back pain myth
an HIV test to put your
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I hear that if you experience

mind at rest. A counselor back pain, it is a sign that
will prepare you for the you have alot of sperm in
HIV test. Sex is one of the the body. Is it true? E
main ways through which Ukuyi, Comprehensive We advise fellow youths to stay safe, respect

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
HIV is transmitted in HS, Mbale elders and be God loving, ST club, Standard HS,
Uganda. Think about the No! That is a misleading Lira
reasons why you got myth. Sperm does not
“lured” into sex. Change I can take four months No, not at all. Condoms One of them loves me so

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○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
cause back pain. The
your behaviour and stop body has its natural way without seeing my periods. are tested to ensure that much. I think she can make
having sex. Wait until you of releasing excess sperm And when I start bleeding, they do not leave side a good wife. But her
are old and able to make through wet dreams. it can take three to four effects on the users. It is parents are rude. M N, 18,
healthy decisions. Put weeks. Am I normal? unprotected sex that gives Kihindi Youth Club,
your life first. A Wet dreams Mariat you wounds from genital Kasese
relationship with a I hear my friends talking Tushemereirwe, herpes and syphilis. Are these girls your sexual
member of the opposite about something called wet Standard HS, Remember that for partners? Having more
sex does not mean having dreams. What is it? D Ntungamo condoms to be effective than one sexual partner is
sex. Olowo, Kinyara SS, you need to use them a big reason why people
Masisndi. correctly everytime you are still getting infected
Friendship This is when a boy have sex. Guard yourself with HIV. Most likely, none
We have been friends with passes out creamy against lies that may of these girls knows that
boys in the neighbourhood stuff through his expose you to HIV you are having other girls.
for a long time but my penis. It happens infections. Put yourself in their shoes.
mother and aunt have during sleep. This is Now think about what
started saying that we one of the changes Cervical cancer your reaction would be if
should stop playing with boys experience I have never had sex but you learnt that your
the boys. I don’t know why. during adolescence. my friends tell me that I girlfriend has other
A Ainembabazi, 15, S2 Wet dreams are not will get cancer of the boyfriends. You would
Kashaka Girls SS, a sign to start sex. cervix. This worries me. feel hurt emotionally and
Mbarara No! It is a normal Stella Amolo, Standard frightened about STDs like
process of growth High School, Lira HIV. Perhaps the girls’
As people who love you, and has no side Cervical cancer from parents are rude because
your mother and aunt effects. abstaining? Impossible. It they have sensed what
want to protect you. They is sex that causes cervical kind of person you are.
may be concerned that I’m a virgin cancer, particularly early Stick to one partner. It is
these boys will want you I am 20 and still a Patrick Edep, sex and sex with multiple one of the social vaccines.
to have sex. You need to virgin. I have a Teso College partners. Cervical cancer
discuss your intentions girlfriend who wanted Aloet, Soroti. is caused by a virus that is
and feelings with your us to have sex. But transmitted through sex. Counsellor: Dr Michael
mother and aunt. Let Mulowooza, Hoima
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when I said we should test

them know exactly how for HIV, she refused. What Multiple partners Hospital
you feel. But listen to Irregular periods are
can I do? N Ainebyona, I have three girl friends.
them. Parents love their common when you are a
Standard High School, teenager. But no, it is not
children and such Ntungamo
protection is one way of normal to bleed for three
Congratulations on being or more weeks. Periods
showing their love. Stay a virgin! Explain to your
out of danger. should last for seven days
girlfriend the importance at most. Lengthy bleeding
of HIV testing. will make you weak and
Remember that the anaemic. Please see a
test alone will not health worker.
protect you against
HIV/STDs and Is it true that when you use
unwanted pregnancy. condoms, your penis
You need also to be develops wounds? Isaac
faithful to your Bitambireki, 17, S3,
partner and try to Bright Academy SS,
ensure that she is Kasese Abstinence is our key. Members of ST club,
faithful to you. In Tororo Community SS
addition, you need to
always use condoms.
But is this a serious Publisher:STRAIGHT TALK FOUNDATION
relationship? Do you 45 Bukoto St., Kamwokya, P. O. Box 22366, Tel: 0312-262030, 0312-262031 041-
really want sex? Think 530088 Kampala (U), Fax: 041-534858, E-mail: strtalk@imul.com, strtalk@straight-
talk.or.ug, Web: www.straight-talk.or.ug Communications Director: Cathy Watson,,
hard about what you
Programme Director: Anne Akia Fiedler, Editors: Teopista Agutu, Betty
want and do not be Kagoro, Edith Kimuli, Gilbert Awekofua. Designer: G.b Mukasa, Funded by
pressured. DANIDA, DFID, Ireland Aid, and SIDA Printer: Vision Printing