Vo l.15 No. 9 Sep tem ber 2 0 0 9
HIV basics
The first ST Youth Conferencetook place at Kitante PS on16 August with 32 StraightTalk Clubs from Kampala,Mukono and Wakiso. It washot! Students competedin poetry, music, danceand drama. Thanks toNaguru Teenage Centreand Uganda Blood Bank,69 students tested for HIVand 15 donated blood. Allstudents who tested wereHIV negative. Guys, keepit that way. Namakwa SS,Mukono, was overall winnerand had the best poem. •St Janan Luwum, Kampala:first runner up • Kitante Hill:second runner up • BukotoHS, Kampala, best dramaskit • Kojja SS, Best Song •UYWEFA, best dance.Watch for an ST conventionin your area!
Our Safe
HOLIDAYS!
Well, it is tem thee.
Straight Talk
pys tht you e bck tschool sfe fte the holidys. Fo those of you who could not iseschool fees, be stong. Ty to ensome money now: you cn do it!Cndidtes, get down to wok.
Over one hundred
Straight Talkers
wrote to us about their holidays. Mostof you help your parents and work formoney.
Lend Wful fomBenedictine Voctionl ndPoduction Cente, Tooo, wote:
"I worked as a plumberand used the money to buy fruits for my mother who has HIV.I felt good listening to her lifestories. They help me abstain from sex.
Leonard, thanks for being there for your mother.
KS of Duhg SS, Hoim, wote:"I wlked home smtly fte pssing in division one.
Duringholidays, I met a boy who continu-ously bargained for a love affair. Hereached to the extent of asking tohave sex with me. But because of wanting to become a nurse, I gotcourage to know the outcome. Sothe holidays were not bad to me andI was safe."
Stight Tlk Counselo FithFll, mothe of theeteenges, sys:
"Holiday is a time to build useful friendships. If you hangout, go to safe places.Keep off alcohol and sex.Invite your friends home.Your parents will be happy to meet them."
Hot boys from Luzira SSdo the Back Street poseat the ST conference
Rock ing w it h st Raight t alk
HIV nd STDs:
When HIV enters your body, for example, in the semenof a boy with HIV, you may not getinfected. The millions of virus inthe ejaculate may "float" in the girl'sgenital tract and slowly die off, havingnot found a home. But if one of thosemillions of viruses locates a whiteblood cell with a CD4 marker on itssurface and enters inside that cell,infection ocurs. A person with an STDhas more CD4 cells in their genitals.This is one reason why STDs raisethe chances of HIV infection.
Nasir Musoke, Training Officer, AIC
If you won a diary in2009, write and tellus how you used it.Girls, did it help you to keep track of your periods?
Send letters to POBox 22366,
K'l SCHOOL
HIVmoVes totowardsa wHItebloodcell wItHa cd4marker
Quiz:
"Pulling" of the vaginal lips
is a cherished part of sexuality insome Ugandan cultures.
Straight Talk
wants tounderstand it better:Tell us your pullingstories. Write to POBox 22366, K'la, andwin a prize.
Guidingquestions: Whendid you pull, why, how and withwhom? What happened? Is there aconnection between pulling, HIV, marriage and a good life? What isthe purpose of pulling?
Are you already having SEX or planning to start? YouMUST
TESTwith your partner.GO TOGETHERfor free HIV testing &
counselling at any AIDS INFORMATION CENTRE in Arua, Lira, Soroti, Mbale, Jinja, Kampala, Mbarara, Kabale. Offer lastsfor the next six months.
CHICK LOOK:
Luzira SSstudentsdo theirstrokes
STar
Kisiki College, Namutumba.
Yousent in 41 letters! Well done. You wina football and netball.
Wheeve you e, wite to Stight Tlk, PO Box 22366, Kmpl.
Straight Talk, September 2009
2
"Holiday is a time to work hard. It is thetime when you see that things are not free but worked for," says
Biira Gedi,
STLukhonzo radio journalist.
• Respect home rules. If your parents want you home at a particular time, behome. • If you go out, tell them where you are going. Parents worry about your wellbeing. It is not about controlling you.• Do house chores. It is not a punishmentbut teaches you self-reliance.• Let what you do in your holiday add value to your life, family and community.
Prossy, Benedictine Vocational Training andProduction Centre, Tororo, says: "
I was a ‘cow girl’. I looked after animals, milked and sold the milk.Many boys and girls laughed at me saying that I willnever get married because ‘I smelt like animals’. I wasnot bothered by their ignorance. From these animals,I pay my school fees, buy books, pens and get pocketmoney. Most of the boys and girls who laughed at meare suffering."
Great work, Prossy! Focus on yourgoal.
Bwire Wilber, 19, S5, Lumino HS, Busia, says:"
I made charcoal to meet my requirements. I have amotto that keeps me active. 'What have I done today that will make my tomorrow sweet.'"
Good motto,Wilber. Plant trees to replace those you cut. Learnabout efficient charcoal making methods fromTree Talk
.
Wandera Denis, 16, S2, Bukalikha SS, Busia,says:
"I helped out with tasks without being asked. My parents were happy and bought me a dictionary. They promised to take me to the source of River Nile, if Iperform well next term.”
Way to go, Wandera. Let us work willingly and not stress our parents. They are already stressedlooking for our school fees.
Nawawi Suduki, Kiryassaaka SS,Masaka, says
:
"
I was with my sick grandmother and helped her with work. She gave me a nice T-shirt, apair of bed sheets and blessed me."
Beautiful. You put a smile on yourgrandmother's face.
Komakech Rogers, S4, City SS, Wakiso, says:
“Books were my number one priority. I had a girlfriendbut we separated when I discoveredthat she was cheating on me. I went foran HIV test and was negative. I’m now abstaining.”
Thanks, for resting without rusting.Stay in charge of your life.
Auderut Tereza, head girl,Benedictine Vocational Centre,Tororo, says: "
I distilled waragi . Itis a dirty job but I made money forpersonal requirements. This preventedme from begging from relatives and friends who could take advantage of my situation."
Thanks, Auderut. But watch out forbrewing. You may meet drunk men who want to have sex with you.Some may try to rape you. Look foranother job next holiday.
Brenda Nakintu, 15, S1,Namutumba Central HS,Busembatia, says:
"I went to my aunt's where very many boys wantedme to be in love with them. I refusedby not moving at night to avoid beingraped by them. Yes, I stayed safeby staying at home to avoid sexualintercourse, bad peer groups and watching blue movies.”
Brenda, keepbeing strong so that you completeS6: 15 is really too young for sex,and those boys were not serious.
Winners
of The
Colour Purple
sick. But testing when you fall sick is dangerous because by then yourimmunity is too weak. You take longto respond to medicine, if at all youdon’t die. You will take many pills of different types. The earlier you test,the better. If I had been tested early,I wouldn’t have gone through allthat pain.
LETTERS TO JANE I am positive but I can’t tellanyone in our school coz they will isolate me.Girl, S5, Masaka
Disclosure (telling others) is a a setpby step process. First examine your friend’s reactions towards peopleliving with HIV. Tellthem an indirect story of someone you know whohas HIV. If their reactionis bad, talk to them aboutthe love and supportpeople with HIV need.Disclosure sets you free.Talk with your counsellor for more guidance.
Straight Talkers, any questions for Jane? Write to: PO Box, 22366, Kampala
Writers of the letters published inthis ST about their holdiays winthis wonderful novel.
Readers are leaders.Sharpen your understanding of the world by reading deeply and widely every chance you get.
Diary of a young positive
Jane, 19, was born with HIV. Eachmonth she updates us on how she isdoing.
"In September I went to Gulu,Kitgum, Amuru, Adjumani andMoyo to set up young positivesgroups at all the ST youth centres.You guys out there, go and sign up.It is going to be fun and supportive.I met a young positive at AdjumaniHospital. She was feeling so sick shecould hardly speak. She could notbelieve that I had HIV. But I wasonce as sick as her. I asked her to bemy friend.When I remember when I was sick, itspainful. My relatives gottired of me. Everyonelost hope of me living.My aunt would notcome to my room.She was scared that I would die. Today sheis proud of me. Butshe is scared of testing for HIV. She is waitingto see if she will fall
Holiday makers learn howto do hairdressing andwelding at Uganda YouthDevelopment Link Centre,Masooli, Gayaza road
Use holidays to add value to your life
By Mother Theresa
People are often unreasonable; forgive them anyway.If you are kind, people may accuse you of hidden motives; be kind anyway.If you are successful, you will win some false friends; succeed anyway.If you are honest, people may cheat you; be honest anyway.What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; build anyway.If you find happiness, they may be jealous; be happy anyway.The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; do good anyway.Give the world your best anyway. You see, it is between you and God;it is not between you and them anyway.
Poem:
Give the world your best
Mother Teresa was a nun who did greatwork with the poor and homeless inCalcutta, India. She won the Nobel PeacePrize in 1979. Born in former Yugoslavia in
1910, Mother Theresa took her vowsas a nun in 1931. She died in 1997.She is a hero. Some people say shewill become saint.Adolescents worry a lot about theirpeers. But in this poem MotherTeresa advises us not to over thinkabout the bad thoughts of others.Life is not between you and them,it is between you and your God.
Straight Talk, September 2009
3
KNOW YOUR BODY - Painful erections
Pregnancy facts
Who is your hero, that person you admire and want to be like? Write to: PO Box 22366, Kampala.The best story wins
The Mammoth Bookof Heroes
.
When holidays end in pregnancy or arelationship which disrupts your studies...
You can become pregnant:
•Thersttimeyouhavesex
• Before you have ever seen
yourrstmenstrualperiod
• At any point during yourmenstrual cycle.
•Ifyouhavesexstandingup.•Ifyoujumpaftersex.
• Even if the boy pulls out(withdraws his penis) beforehe ejaculates• Even if you wash the vagina
aftersex.
Unprotected sex is oneof the most dangerousbehaviours a young per-son can do. Dr StephenWatiti of Mildmay saysyoung people should betaught to have sex with acondom and they shouldbe told to never havesex without a condomuntil they want to get ababy. What do you think?Write to ST, PO Box22366, K'la.
Girls, holidays are fun. But you have toface reality. There will be boys who hit onyou. It is a fact: it happens. So you mustbe prepared to take a stand. Best is if yousay: "No, no, no, no, no". Second best is ifyou say: "Only with a condom".Sadly, every holiday many girls do neither.Instead they have unprotected sex andbecome pregnant. Your pregnancy getsdetected a few months after you get backfrom school.The Ministry of Education supports preg-nancy checks at school. Says ministryspokesman Aggrey Kibenge: "We encour-age health checkups including pregnancytests by schools to ensure kids are safe allthe time. It should be done regularly andnot only when children are coming fromholidays". Here are two stories of girlswho got problems in their holdiays.
Stupid relationship
"I was in S2 holiday when a friend‘arranged’ me a boyfriend. He wasa 'celeb' at school so I did not resist.But my heart soon got broken whenanother girl hugged and pecked my ‘boyfriend’ in front of me. It affectedmy studies. Everybody wondered what happened to me. I am abrilliant girl."
Kyanyalano Justine,S5, Kibibi SS, Mpigi
I accepted sex with him
"My parents died when I was 15 andin S2. I left the village to live withmy uncle in Kampala and study at aboarding school. During third termholidays, I went to the village to stay with my big sister, who got marriedin P7 after getting pregnant. There was a boy who for over a year hadbeen telling me: ‘You are the mostbeautiful girl I have ever seen.’ Up
Just acting:
Kitante Hill School ST club membersin a drama on earlypregnancy at the ST Youth Convention.
to then I had not given in.This time he passed through my sister, telling her that he loved meand wanted to marry me after hisstudies. He was in his final year in aTeachers’ Training College. My sistersupported him. saying he was goodmannered and from an educated family. She said: ‘He is the rightchoice among all the boys in thisvillage conning you.’ Everytime Ivisited my sister, boys would con me.I accepted to love Mark. We wentto his home. I refused sex without acondom but he searched his suitcaseand found none. So we had unpro-tected sex.I strongly suspected I was pregnant.I cried and told my sister. She feltguilty. When I told Mark, he wasexcited. This made me very angry. I went back to school for my first termin S3. I was restless and confused.The school medical check-up didnot detect the pregnancy because it was just a month old. I told a friend who was day scholar. She asked me for 9000/- for pills for aborting. Shetold me to take one everyday for a week. Nothing happened. Then shebrought herbs. I took one cup perday for three days. Again nothinghappened. I was frustrated. I had todo exams amid my troubles. Theend of term medical examinationdiscovered my pregnancy. Theschool asked my uncle to come.When I saw him, I cried. I had lethim down.
Girl, 16
Readers, "Girl, 16" delivered and is nowback in school, and settling in.
Q UIZ
Iam abstaining but sometimesI feel pain when my peniserects. What causes that.Matsiko N, 18, S2, Kabezi SS,Ntungamo
The penis is like a balloon. Inside,it has sponge-like tissue. Duringerection, blood is pumped into thepenis at high pressure. When filledit expands and becomes hard.A normal erection is painless. Itlasts less than 30 minutes. Afterejaculation (release of sperms),the erection goes down.If there is pain whenthere is an erection, or if it continues for more than four hours, see adoctor immediately. Pain is thebody’s way of showing that there issomething wrong.
Causes of painful erections
l
Wounds due to STDs orcircumcision.
l
A tight foreskin that becomestighter during erections.This problem may be solved by circumcision.
l
When frenulum, (a small pieceof skin joining the foreskin tothe penis head) is too short.
l
Scars and injury to the insidetissues of penis which stop thepenis from filling well withblood.
l
Prolonged erections dueto use of illegal drugs likemarijuana (bhangi, weed)and cocaine and blooddiseases such as Sickle Celldisease.Look after your penis well. It is animportant partof your life.Treasure it anddo not exposeit to unsafeenvironments.Dr. PaulSemugoma
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Straight Talk, September 2009
Straight Talk is an audience-driven, culturally-appropriate newspaper produced monthly for Ugandan adolescents by Straight Talk Foundation, a leading Health & Development Communication NGO based in Kampala, Uganda.
Straight Talk appears in Uganda's lead national daily, _The… (More)
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