ADVICE TO TEACHERS OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA

I am writing to the teachers of Papua New Guinea. Now that I

have come to support the Catholic Family Life Apostolate, I

hope to meet many teachers in years to come and share ideas

on HIV/AIDS awareness.

In the last week, I have addressed about 180 boys and girls from a

Port Moresby Catholic school on (1) the physiology of HIV/AIDS

and (2) young women selecting husbands. This will continue each

week in a different school, God willing.

I have not talked to high school classes on HIV/AIDS for several

years and then only to grades 11 and 12 Biology students. I have

been a teacher all my working life with a Bachelor of Arts and

Bachelor of Education from the University of Queensland. My

studies included physiology and embryology, both relevant to
AIDS awareness.

My studies in Biology now come in daily use as I explain to the

nation and world the integrated story of physiology of HIV/AIDS.

I am able to do this in two sessions to high school students over

90 minutes. They remember with my colour diagrams and simple

explanation.

Health Education starts in primary school. The basics of Positive

Living start there with lessons in nutrition. In this country, there are

many health promoting schools.

As well there should be lessons in basic health with focus on exercise,

personal growth and respect for gender. Boys should be given the

opportunity to work with girls in respectful and positive ways.

Talks on sex education should not start until boys and girls have the

maturity to understand. The opportunity comes in subjects such as

personal growth, science and biology.

One major problem is existence of overseas consultants who have

come to teach girls that boys and men are violent.

They have a foreign lesbian and gay agenda. Do not follow their

agenda if it excludes boys and men. They think that it is all about

gender equity and condoms. It is really about respect and dignity.

The rest looks after itself.

The major opportunity for sex education comes with study of

science and biology. Then there is the opportunity to focus on

the interaction of body systems that is slowly destroyed by the

HIV virus.

Please take no notice of the old story from overseas about the

virus attacking CD4 cells, lifting in viral count with a drop in CD4

count, opportunistic infections and death. This is a false message

20% true.

The real message is about the attack of the virus on the gut lining

with a slow drop in absorption of nutrients, salts and water, leading

to starvation, infection and suffocation.

BRIEFINGS FOR STUDENTS - HIV/AIDS - FAMILY POSITIVE LIVING - AIDS ...

10 May 2011 ... testing the gut lining by assessing how well it. Gut warfare. Far

from the unhurried killer it seemed to be, HIV is a swift assassin, . ...
familypositiveliving.blogspot.com/.../briefings-for-students-hivaids-family.html -

Cached

HIV & AIDS Information :: Reservoirs of HIV in gut tissue continue ...

29 Jul 2006 ... HIV continues to replicate in gut tissue even if

potent anti-HIV therapy is effectively controlling virus in the blood,

according to a study ...
www.aidsmap.com/page/1424424/ - Cached

In Grades 11 /12, there are excellent reference books. The syllabus

as of 2007 had a section in which the classes study diseases and the

malfunction of body systems.

This is a great way to study body systems by fault finding. HIV/AIDS

is a perfect disease that covers all systems of the body.

I look forward to talking to as many classes as possible on the attack

of HIV on body mucosa in the mouth, anus, penis, vagina and small

intestine. I dream of conducting workshops for Biology teachers. In

one week, I would explain all I know.

Dear reader, if you know a teacher, please email, send the blog or

print on hard copy. We all can make a difference in promoting AIDS

awareness and family positive living.