HIV/AIDS Teacher Resource Book - Department of Education

i. They are sexually activeii. They may give in to cultural and peer pressure to have lots of sexual partnersiii. They may abuse alcohol and drugsiv. They also become victims of violence and povertyv. They are sometimes under pressure to get married early and pay bride pricevi. Many young men have to travel for work or school3.4 When did HIV come to PNG?We don’t know. Sometime in the mid 1980’s would be probable. The first reportedHIV antibody blood tests were in 1987.We don’t know who brought the virus here. Maybe it was a person who travelledoverseas, had unsafe sex and got infected. We do know the virus has spread veryrapidly since then. PNG now has an HIV epidemic. All age groups and all regionsare affected.3.5 Why is the HIV epidemic increasing in PNG?Self study: Before you read this section, try and think of as many causes aspossible. Note these down and then compare them to this list.There are many reasons:• Poverty – e.g. no money means no school fees, especially for girls; pooraccess to health care, malnutrition; sex work; mobile population (people movefor work); illiteracy• Cultural taboos e.g. not being able to talk openly about sexual health• Gender inequality (bride price, women having no power to refuse sex withtheir husbands or ask to use a condom, women not inheriting land)• High levels of domestic and sexual violence, rape, pack rape and sexualabuse• Cultural practices e.g. polygamy• Stigma and discrimination towards people with HIV/AIDS so people don’twant to get tested and people do not get treatment when they are sick• High STI rates. Having an untreated STI makes you over ten times morelikely to be infected by HIV• Unfaithfulness in marriage• Multiple sex partners• Low condom use and opposition to condoms means people don’t protectthemselves and others• Alcohol abuse leads to risk taking and poor decision making• Mobility and Migration greater access to rural villages through roads, peoplemoving from traditional villages to urban citiesSelf study: Add any missing root causes to the list and then select the five which youthink are the main causes. Discuss these with your colleagues. Do they agree withyou?Self study: Which of these root causes to the epidemic mayimpact on you as a teacher?3.6 How is PNG responding to the epidemic?The Government, churches and local groups have responded tothe threat of the epidemic in a number of ways.19