Lesson and activity plans Learning facts about AIDS

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This page describes two activities: Three Statements about AIDS, and the AIDS Quiz. Both of these focus on the facts about HIV and AIDS.

Three Statements about AIDS

Aims

To distinguish between facts and misinformation about HIV and AIDS.

What you will you need

Chairs in a circle. Small pieces of paper, pens. Large sheets of paper. Time about 30-45 minutes depending on the size of the group.

What you do

  1. Hand out 3 small pieces of paper to each group member and ask them to write on each one a statement they have heard about HIV or AIDS (this need not be something they agree with).
  2. Collect in the small pieces of paper and deal them out at random.
  3. Divide the group members into two roughly equal groups.
  4. Distribute a large sheet of paper to each group with headings 'AGREE', 'DISAGREE' and 'DON'T KNOW' on it. Ask group members to sort their small pieces of paper into each of these columns, reaching agreement on where each statement should be placed.
  5. When they have done this (about 20 minutes probably), both groups should be asked to justify their decisions to the main group as a whole. Group members must be prepared to say why they made the choices they did.
  6. Facilitate a discussion of the scientific, medical and social issues raised by the statements and where they are placed.

Likely outcomes

By having to defend the decisions made, the group will have a chance to begin to distinguish facts from prejudice and misinformation. Your own interventions will help consolidate understanding.

The AIDS Quiz

1. Does HIV only affect gay people?

  • Yes
  • No
  • Only gay men
  • Only gay women

2. Which protects you most against HIV infection?

  • Condoms
  • Contraceptive pills
  • Spermicide jelly

3. How can you tell if somebody has HIV or AIDS?

  • Because of the way they act
  • They look tired and ill
  • There is no easy way to tell

4. Can you get AIDS from sharing the cup of an HIV-infected person?

  • Yes
  • No
  • Only if you don't wash the cup

5. Is there a cure for AIDS?

  • Yes
  • No
  • Only on prescription

6.What is HIV?

  • A virus
  • A bacterium
  • A fungus

7. Can insects transmit HIV?

  • yes
  • No
  • Only mosquitoes

8. What does STD stand for?

  • Sexually Transmitted Disease
  • Special Treatment Doctor
  • Standard Transmission Deficiency

9. When was the term 'AIDS' defined?

  • 1977
  • 1982
  • 1987

10. The charity AVERT was set up in which year?

  • 1986
  • 1996
  • 2006

11. Approximately how many people are living with HIV worldwide?

  • 39.5 million
  • 25.8 million
  • 3.5 million

12.What does HIV stand for?

  • Human Immunodeficiency Virus
  • Harmful Intravenous Vaccine
  • Homosexual Injury Volition

13. What is the difference between HIV and AIDS?

  • HIV is a virus and AIDS is a bacterial disease
  • HIV is the virus that causes AIDS
  • There is no difference between HIV and AIDS

14. Which practice puts you most at risk of becoming infected with HIV?

  • Kissing
  • Using the same toilet as an infected person
  • Unprotected vaginal sex
  • Anal sex with a condom

15. What is abstinence?

  • To refrain from sex
  • To only have sex with one partner
  • To lose your virginity

Quiz Questions Answer Sheet

  1. HIV can affect anyone from any part of the world.
  2. Condoms are the most effective way to protect against transmission of HIV and other STDs during sex.
  3. There are no specific symptoms of HIV.
  4. It is not possible to become infected with HIV from everyday casual contact such as sharing food, shaking hands or touching the same objects. You are only at risk from HIV if you are exposed to infected blood or bodily fluids.
  5. There is no cure for AIDS. This means it is important to be aware of prevention methods such as safe sex in order to protect yourself.
  6. HIV is a virus. Like all viruses, HIV cannot grow or reproduce on its own. In order to make new copies of itself it must infect the cells of a living organism.
  7. Insects cannot transmit HIV. When taking blood from someone mosquitoes do not inject blood from any previous person. The only thing that a mosquito injects is saliva, which is used as a lubricant and enables it to feed more efficiently.
  8. Sexually Transmitted Disease. These can be passed on during sex. So it's always a good idea to use a condom and protect yourself.
  9. AIDS was first defined in the USA in September 1982. The term 'AIDS' was suggested at a meeting in Washington, D.C., in July.
  10. AVERT was established in 1986 and is now based in Horsham, UK.
  11. 39.5 million people were living with HIV in 2006, and 24.7 million of these people were in Sub-Saharan Africa.
  12. Human Immunodeficiency Virus is the full term for HIV, which means that HIV weakens the body's immune system.
  13. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. A person can live a healthy life if they are diagnosed with HIV, they are said to have AIDS when they develop and HIV related illness.
  14. Unprotected sex carries a high risk for becoming infected with HIV, so using a condom correctly will protect you. You can't become infected with HIV through kissing or through everyday contact such as using the toilet.
  15. Abstinence means avoiding sex. Abstinence is encouraged along with partner reduction and condom use as a way of preventing the spread of HIV.

There are more quizzes in the quizzes section of our site.

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Authors/Source:

This group of pages is an adaptation by Simon Forrest & Annabel Kanabus of material originally published in AIDS:Working With Young People by Peter Aggleton, Kim Rivers, & Ian Warwick(ISBN 0-9515351-8-8) together with some new material.

Last updated March 13, 2008