AIDS (un)Awareness in School

           I was formally introduced to AIDS in, Thurgood Marshall Academy, my junior high school that is located in Harlem, New York. I was surprised that we were even learning about sex and the diseases associated with it because it was so closely affiliated with the church that I am a member of. After a very brief description of condom application ( without the benefit of actually seeing what a condom was), we were shown a list of sexually transmitted diseases. They stressed HIV/AIDS saying that this was a killer. Cass ended.

            My high school education was in Northfield, Massachusetts. It was a very conservative coed boarding school that had a very thorough sexual education program. Freshman and sophomore year students would go through a program that was catered to their age group while also taking into the mind that many students would engage in behavior that they usually would not participate in if they were under the supervision of their parents. The school actually brought in a group to teach us rather than have the Dean of Students stumble through the information. They were quite thorough in explaining protection, birth control, and STD’s.  HIV/AIDS was discussed on day two with them explaining the difference between the two. Unfortunately, the specifics of the virus had escaped me by the time I reached this class. What was remembered was when they  asked us to look to our left and to our right while stating the fact that one of them probably had some form of an STD.   

       Northfield MT.Hermon                               Thurgood Marshall Academy