Let’s not forget HIV. And let’s start with young people, to create information and sharing paths which, cascading, can touch the mind and soul of thousands of teen-agers, who may have never heard of the virus and find it difficult to express their affectivity and a sexuality that must blossom. The proposal is from Circolo Mario Mieli of Rome, which launches the initiative “Pride vs Prejudice“Intended for four high schools in the capital, created with the support of ViiV Healthcare. All this, through clear and homogeneous information on sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and in particular on HIV, creating a space for discussion and comparison between young people and experts.
Each class – a note details – thanks to this innovative method of learning and comparison, becomes a sort of emotional laboratory in which each young person can face the development of issues related to sexuality, affectivity, prevention. In fact, as indicated in the international guidelines, in particular those of Unesco 2018, the most effective prevention interventions are those included in a framework of Comprehensive Sexuality Educatio.
“The school, which has always been a place of teaching / learning, but also of socialization, cultural exchange and social interaction, represents the privileged context in which to implement prevention strategies, as also reported in the National AIDS Plan. We plan to directly involve about 450 students in the program, with a thousand young people participating in the final events, with the goal of increasing knowledge about HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases by 20%.“, explains Massimo Farinella, referent of the project of the Mario Mieli association. “To make this assessment, questionnaires will be proposed at the beginning and at the end of the project, which will obviously also integrate the teaching staff to enhance the skills of young people and make them aware of the stigma that is still present towards people with HIV”.
For each school – explains the note – various interventions are planned, from a presentation assembly to meetings with teachers and then move on to 4 laboratory meetings, lasting two hours, intended for the second and third grades of the school. At the end, the tangible results of the initiative will be presented in a further final assembly. “An educational approach will be used in the interventions aimed at enhancing the development of the abilities and potential of children through active listening techniques and using role-playing games and simulations.“, explains Mario Colamarino, President of the Mario Mieli association. “The work in the classroom will be carried out seated in a circle or in another way (in any case in compliance with the anti-covid rules provided) to facilitate openness and communication without roles and positions, thanks to the teams made up of expert operators (psychologists, social workers, peer operator) “.
The objective of the Mario Mieli Club has always been to welcome, support, inform and guide HIV-positive people, also with regard to issues related to discrimination and stigma. Bringing knowledge about HIV and sexually transmitted infections by increasing awareness on the subject, however, is among the institutional commitments of ViiV Healthcare, which supports the initiative in an unconditional way.
“We work alongside people living with HIV in Italy and around the world with educational programs for the prevention of infection in prisons and in environments where the risk of transmission is greater, as well as with specific initiatives aimed at LGBT + communities”, he explains Maurizio Amato, General manager of ViiV Italy and the Netherlands. “In this sense, an innovative project such as that of the Circolo Mario Mieli, which aims to raise awareness of HIV in schools, counteracting stigma through correct informationis perfectly in line with our mission, which is based on a simple concept: ‘No patient left behind: no one should be left behind‘. The school – he concludes – represents the ideal environment to favor and encourage the training of young people on scientific and social aspects related to HIV, opening paths of awareness and inclusion “.