How to Join the Community Response
Everyone Can Help

You are a vital member of the community team that provides HIV and AIDS education, reinforces safe behavior, and promotes healthful attitudes. When parents and other adults join with civic groups, youth groups, educators, and religious groups, communities can convey these messages to young people and prevent the spread of HIV infection and AIDS.

Both adults and young people can join the community's efforts by talking to friends, neighbors, colleagues, and relatives. Remember, you don't have to be an expert to teach people about HIV infection and AIDS. By speaking with peers, people who know the facts about HIV infection and AIDS can help stop the spread of the disease.

Many communities have valuable resources to inform their young people about HIV infection and AIDS. These organizations, such as the American Red Cross, the March of Dimes, National Urban League, National council of La Raza, Boys' Clubs and Girls' Clubs, and your local "Y," can tell you how to get involved with public education, volunteer programs, and fund-raising drives. To find out about such resources in your community, look for listings in the telephone book. .

You can also invite speakers from these groups to address your group about HIV infection and AIDS prevention, where appropriate. A local health organization that focuses on AIDS treatment, counseling, or education can help you find good speakers. To get the name of such an organization in your community, call the National AIDS Hotline (1-800-342-AIDS). People with AIDS, health educators, or local and State government officials might make good speakers.

Many community groups involved in the fight against AIDS operate on shoestring budgets and depend heavily on individuals' contributions of time and money. Please help them succeed. Your community will appreciate it.

One important way you can help is to volunteer your services to people with AIDS. As their condition becomes more disabling, people with AIDS have increasing trouble meeting their daily needs. You can off help by shopping, cooking meals, or just visiting and talking with people with AIDS on a regular basis. To find out what you can do to help people with AIDS, you can contact an AIDS education or service organization, or an organization of people with AIDS in your community. For more information, call the National AIDS Hotline (1-800-342-AIDS) or your local health department.

You can talk to your local school board, superintendent, principal, teachers, guidance counselors, or child to find out about the HIV infection and AIDS education programs your local school offers and how you can contribute.

A comprehensive health education curriculum with an HIV infection and AIDS component is an excellent way to provide children with knowledge, skills, and support to lead healthy lives. A Comprehensive school health education curriculum is an organized, sequential, school health curriculum that starts at the appropriate ages and continues through senior year. It can teach students at the appropriate ages about sexually transmitted diseases, drug abuse, AIDS, and other health concerns, and help them develop decision-making skills and healthy lifestyles. .

Make sure your local educators know that you want young people to learn about HIV infection and AIDS prevention in school. PTA meetings can be perfect settings to discuss this issue.

Your local media play an important role in your community's response to HIV an AIDS. Call or write to your local television and radio stations and newspapers, urging them to air more AIDS public service announcements that target young people, publish stories related to HIV infection and AIDS, and report prevention facts accurately.

You can get a variety of educational materials, including posters, brochures, and additional copies of this guide through the National AIDS Hotline (1-800-342-AIDS) or by writing to:

National AIDS Information Clearinghouse P.O. Box 6003 Dept. G Rockville, MD 20850

© 2005 LINQ Communications