Where does HIV and AIDS education take place?

Where does HIV and AIDS education take place?

HIV and AIDS education can take place in many different environments, from classes at school to families and friends sharing knowledge at home. It is important that this education is provided in a variety of settings to ensure that the most vulnerable and marginalised groups in society are reached, and that accurate information about HIV and AIDS is reinforced from different sources.

HIV and AIDS education in schools

The most common place for people to learn about HIV and AIDS is at school. Due to their capacity and universality, schools are a crucial setting for educating young people about AIDS.⁸ As young people are at a high risk of becoming infected with HIV, it is vital that they are educated about HIV transmission before they are exposed to situations that put them at risk of HIV infection (for example, before they are sexually active). Schools play a major role in shaping the attitudes, opinions and behaviour of young people and so are ideal environments for teaching the social as well as the biological aspects of HIV and AIDS.

Members of the wider community can also increase their knowledge about HIV and AIDS through the school environment. Teachers who expand their understanding of the subject while planning lessons and receiving teacher training can pass this information on to adults as well as pupils, and the same can be said for children themselves; once informed about AIDS, they can tell their parents or their friends what they have learned.