Quote:
Originally posted by Calaethis Dragonsbane:
I agree with those that say 'let children be children', for crying out loud, there only gonna get ONE chance at it... they'll learn soon enough; anyway I thought sesme st was for YOUNG kids, u know, 4 n 5 yrs olds... I really dont think that they should learn about it... older kids... maybe... but the younger ones?!
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The thing that I see in this - and I agree that a child's innocence be protected as long as possible - is that the information available to these children is coming from a lot of different sources, many of which are probably not correct. Would it be better for a child to understand the disease that is affecting a large portion of the population, or have their view influenced by a lot of misinformation? It is a dead cert that these kids have had or will have contact with family members or friends who are HIV positive, as the percentage of infected is so high.
So if little M'basa is going to be in contact with an older cousin who is HIV positive, should she believe:
1.)That this is a disease sent to punish sinners,
2.)That only people who are are prostitutes, gay, or promiscuous can get it,
3.)That it is communicable by casual contact,
OR-
Should she have the truth?
I don't think it's appropriate at a young age to tell her all the routes of transmission, but she should know that she can safely interact with her cousin, without fear and without thinking that her cousin is a bad person because of a frikkin disease.
Unfortunately, the lack of information and understanding of this disease is horrifyingly prevalent worldwide. Misunderstanding and ignorance are two of the most dangerous vectors for this plague.