Research

Today I finished my annotated bibliography and found so much more information on my topic. I have directed my research towards condom use and sex education in the schools along with the teaching of abstinence. I found more books in the library today than I could go through. There were so many on topics from just condom use in schools to sex education in all sorts. There are several articles from the New York times that I found on statistics for teen pregnancy and its rising numbers directly correlating to not teaching sex education in schools today. It was very helpful doing the annotated bibliography going through the books/articles to see what is actually in them before I checked them out. Seeing the information even though it is about my topic, I was able to get just the books and articles that went specifically to my paper with both sides of the argument that is so vital and current to today.

Orientation

On a nice Thursday evening I attended the ALPHA orientation. I had already attended the HIV and AIDS information meeting that went over more details about the virus and its affects on poeple, how they cope and live a happy life despite their illness. I arrived early to orientation with only two other nice girls. I helped set up the oreintation room with chairs. We came in and sat down I recognized a few of the guys from the HIV class like Duane, Kevin, and a few others. It was 15 min past 6 and and still non of the other 8 scheduled people showed up. So me and the other two girls had a "small" session for orientation that allowed us to ask a lot of questions and it seemed more like a conversation style meeting. The meeting went on for 2 and a half hours and it kinda went over the same information as the HIV class about ALPHA and its background which I still enjoyed and learned a lot more about their start. I am starting to understand more about HIV and its cause and effects on people.

HIV and Aids class

This last Friday, I went to a mandatory HIV and Aids informations class from 6 to 9:30. When I first arrived I had no idea what to expect for the next few hours of my night.... I was a little nervous sitting there waiting for it to start. Cavin is one of the main guys down at ALPHA and he was going to be presenting the information for me and the other students there. We filled out a pre and post comfort level sheet about areas of sex, HIV, and Aids. At first I definitely was a little uneasy at first with the sexual language that Cavin was using. He said it isn't doing us any good if the classroom is censored and then we go out on a condom raid or interact with someone with questions or just talking to them and it not be. I really did learn WAY more about HIV, Aids, Safe sex, and just the mindset of Cavin and his volunteers and helpers. I see Cavin's passion for his work as it ties closely to his husbands fight with HIV.