Tips for Talking to Young People about HIV/AIDS

Talking about HIV/AIDS often means talking about topics related to sex and drug use. These topics that are not easy for some people.  Others worry that discussing sex with youth will encourage them to become sexually active.  Remember that talking with youth about sensitive matters shows them you care about their health and happiness and you are helping them be well informed and encouraging them to develop healthy attitudes about relationships, communication, love and sex.

There are things you can do to make these conversations more comfortable:

• Ask for opinions, not personal information - there is a difference.

• Be willing to answer questions yourself, and always be honest.  Talking is a two-way street.

• Listen carefully.  Take their responses and questions seriously, and let their questions guide your conversation.

• Accept that a youth may have different ideas than you.

• Admit when you're embarrassed, but be sure to continue the conversation.

• Focus on providing factual information, free of judgements.

• Let them know where they can get more information - put them in touch with YouthCO.

• Talking while doing an activity can be a great to encourage conversation.

Talking to youth aged 16-19

At this stage, the pressure to be sexually active is strong.  Some youth believe they cannot be infected by HIV or other sexually transmitted infection. However, it is important that they are informed about the realities of risky activities like unprotected sex and sharing needles.  Their beliefs and attitudes towards these topics may be different from yours. Try not to judge, let them know that you are available to talk should they have any questions.  If they haven't spoken to a health care professional about their sexual health, be sure to encourage them to make an appointment.

When it comes to young people, it is important to remember that they may have different views about sexual activity and may engage in sex before you think they're ready.  For this reason they need to know about condoms, birth control and alternative forms of sexual activities like kissing and masturbation.  Young people also need to know about how drugs and alcohol can affect their judgement and they need to know about the high risk of sharing needles to inject drugs (including steroids) and for piercing and tattooing.

Expand the dialogue - learn about Getting YouthCO into your School or Book a Workshop now!

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Adapted, with gratitude, from 'Talking to Kids about HIV/AIDS' by the Canadian HIV/AIDS Information Centre, Canadian Public Health Association.