Perceptions

State Health Department

My High School and Middle School

My Hometown

The Media

Final Thoughts

Data

Links

At my high school, we had a weeklong program in 9^th grade where people from Planned Parenthood taught us about HIV/AIDS/STD/pregnancy prevention, which is what is required by the state of California. In addition, we had a more comprehensive unit in our biology classes, where we learned more of the biological aspect of infection—how they infect cells, etc. In 11^th grade, my school held an assembly called “Secrets” which addressed how HIV is spread through an entertaining hour-long dramatic play. It was an entertaining way to get us to understand the dangers of unprotected sexual activities and we paid more attention to that than we would have if someone had just come and lectured to us for an hour. However, perhaps because of a cultural stigma, a mode of transmission that was not mentioned in the play was men having sex with men, which is the primary mode of transmission in Santa Clara County.

In addition to what was required, one biology teacher created an entertaining lab called “You gave me what?,” a simulation of how STDs are spread.

My biology teacher was educated and well-informed, and did not withhold any useful information from us. Her primary goal was to tell us the facts about HIV/AIDS and not to downplay the critical nature of this disease. She told us where the nearest Planned Parenthood was to our school, and made sure to let us know that we could go there for information and testing without the permission of our parents, and that it would be completely anonymous.

The nurse’s office at our school also had a large selection of pamphlets on a range of subjects, including HIV/AIDS prevention. However, I was unaware that this even existed until I went to the nurse’s office for the first time junior year. It is not well publicized that these pamphlets are available.

Gunn High School Health Office

Flyers advertising a Teen Clinic at the Stanford Children's Hospital in English and Spanish
Underlined Text: "STD Testing and Treatment, Including HIV Testing and Counseling"

Brochures at the Health Office