HIV, youth and parents role on the table in televised panel discussion

Parents are an important part of any youth’s sexual behavior and sexual health. That was the general consensus at the panel discussion on Thursday December 14 on Trinidad and Tobago’s NCC Channel 4.

As a follow up of their activities surrounding World Aids Day, Trinidad and Tobago Red Cross (TTRC) helped bring together a panel of organizations all involved with HIV and AIDS work to discuss the theme “Empowering Youth to Understand Why Parents Matter”.

“We are talking about this topic because there is a gap between the families and the youth when it comes to HIV and AIDS and families are important. Children learn from what others are doing, and if there is no talk, they think what others are doing is alright for themselves,” Akeisha Benjamin TTRCS Health Programme Officer said during the discussion.

“The parents have an important role to play for a child might think ‘Well my mother and father are walking through rain and fire. I can do the same’, and not everyone is open to the information that is available, if they see otherwise”.

This view was shared by Maureen Seals from the Family Planning Association (FPA). “Parents, talk to your children. It doesn’t have to be ‘Well let’s sit down and talk’ scenario. There will be opportunities arising everyday”.

Using Christmas as an example, she said “As we are talking about Christmas, about the birth of Jesus and the Virgin Mary, a child might say ‘What is a virgin?” That is an opportunity”, Seals said.

That the issue cannot be shelved as a family matter alone was the stand point of Svenn Mikki Grant of the YMCA. The organization has been advocating children’s rights for a number of years and he believes the issue should concern every person in society.

”I have no children myself but I still consider myself a parent, because when you enter society as an adult you are a mentor - in effect a parent - and you should answer the questions that are out there.” He continued, “If you as a parent are in doubt on how to handle this, you can contact any of our organizations, we are all willing to help.”

The FPA has counselors willing to talk to parents about how to approach their child about sex and HIV and AIDS, and the TTRC also tries to include parents when youth volunteers take part in social awareness campaigns.

“When we are in the communities we try to talk to both parents and youth, and encourage them to keep talking even when they are at home,” Benjamin stated.