Crossing Over to the
Mainstream
My last contribution if I was the county health official would be to ensure that HIV/AIDS education crosses over into Orange County’s majority middle class populations. Although everyone who is sexual active is in risk of HIV/AIDS, many individuals of the majority population believe that they are superior to this disease because of the severe stigma of the disease. For example, my high school definitely lacks with its HIV/AIDS awareness, even though the Middletown is only five miles away with a rate above the national cumulative rate. When I attended Goshen Public High School, I don’t even remember posters being hanged promoting safe sex and prevention methods for HIV/AIDS. When I interviewed my high school nurse and social worker (hyperlink) both of them knew that all of their students were in risk of HIV/AIDS, but they still had no suggestions regarding the promotion of awareness in the school system. Even though both the teachers proclaimed that any student should feel comfortable with approaching them with questions regarding HIV/AIDS, still these proclamations were definitely on the down low. Unfortunately, even though the schools of Orange County are far away from passing out condoms or any other huge dramatic step to end HIV/AIDS, I think we should begin the discussion of HIV/AIDS awareness. Before I interviewed my high school nurse and counselor there is hardly any kind of HIV/AIDS prevention program established in the school, a couple of days I found out that my school nurse is chaperoning a trip to New York City for the annual AIDS Walk. I don’t know what her motive was, but I can’t help but to think how our talk encouraged her actions. So let’s start talking about your ideas of HIV/AIDS prevention; let’s see how discussion can evolve.