Youth Radio - Topic: Sexually Transmitted Infections

Peer-to-Peer Sex Ed

cfoster — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:52:54 -0500

Ever seen a condom key chain?

Last summer, I went to an overnight program at UC Berkeley for high school seniors from all over the state. We stayed in the dorms and at night we went to each other’s room to talk and hang out. On the last night, eight girls came to my room and noticed my condom key chain.

“Wow, is that a condom?” one girl asked.

“Yeah,” I said.

“Does your school pass out these things?” another asked.

I told her that it was part of our schools’ health campaign and then I asked if anyone knew how to open a condom.

Some girls started to giggle, while others stared down at the floor.

I pulled out the condom and showed them how to open it properly.

“Wow!” they said.

I fielded questions about birth control, condoms and STIs (sexually transmitted infections) until 3 am.

I was lucky that my school had taught me about these issues and I was happy to share my knowledge with these girls. But at the same time, I was upset because their schools weren’t providing the basic information I think they really need.

What's the New What? Sex Without Condoms Is The New Engagement Ring

kara — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:38:40 -0500

By Pendarvis Harshaw, Youth Radio

What's the new what? Sex without a condom is the new engagement ring.

My generation has known the threat of HIV/AIDS our entire lives, and sex without a condom isn't something we enter into lightly.

For a lot of my friends, the transition from having sex with to sex without a condom, is seen as a symbolic "engagement." It shows trust, commitment, and the prospect of a shared future; an engagement more practical than spending money on a piece of jewelry for a marriage that might not pass the test of time.

Now close your eyes and envision that classic love story…

Engagement two point O goes something more like this, first a couple has an intense sit down, during which they decide if they're ready to trash those Trojans. If things are right to take that plunge, they swap that trip down the aisle for a hand-n-hand down a health clinic hallway, where they get screened for STDs and choose a method for birth control - such as pills, patches, or shots. Loosing the latex doesn't mean that young folks are looking to have babies. On the contrary, the majority want to steer clear of children and disease while enjoying the pleasures of healthy sex.

Ayesha:
To have sex without a condom is to say that I trust you and I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you

Anyi:
If I make a decision to you know skip the condom process, then you know it's safe to say I love you, without me saying that.

Lauren:
You know a ring is very temporary and you can sort of just take that ring off. Whereas you know if you don't use condoms and you get an STD, then it's sort of a much less temporary result of your engagement than a tan line on your finger.

Do you take this disease-free person to be your sexual partner?

I do

By the power vested in me, I now pronounce sex without a condom…the new engagement ring.

Mom and HIV

wilmer — Fri, 14 May 2010 19:11:10 -0500

Five years ago, when Quincy Mosby was 14, his mother told him she was HIV positive. Even as his mom copes with her illness and tries to embrace life, Quincy says that sometimes, all he can see is her death.

(download mp3)