YA Mulberry St.

4/5/18, 6:00PM-8:00PM

722 Mulberry St.

Reading, PA

Berks Teens Matter educates and trains high school students to be part of our mission to reduce teen pregnancy. These students become part of our Youth Ambassador program. One aspect of being a YA is to provide peer education to Olivet Boys and Girls club youth.

With the help of our YA coordinator, the high school students help run a weekly program at the boys and girls club that takes place throughout the year.

Working with kids ranging in ages 8-17, the YAs work one-on-one and in groups, discussing issues like healthy relationships, conflict resolution, anatomy, sexual health and reproduction. Through games, activities and tailored curriculum, OBGC students are given the opportunity to participate. They are also encouraged to submit a question via an anonymous question box at the end of each session.

The following notes are a summary of these weekly sessions.

  • Attendees
    • Alexandra Banks – Youth Ambassador Coordinator
    • Terlessa – Youth Ambassador
    • Jesus – Youth Ambassador
    • Janeth – Youth Ambassador
  • Youth came in and sate in a semicircle of chairs set up for them. There were about 7 males and 2 females who attended this session. YAs split this lesson amongst themselves as well as with Alex in order to cover the most material within an hour. Alex reminded youth that this was their last session with BTM and we hope that they learned something valuable.
  • Peer Education
    • Lesson 7: Love Gloves for Love Bugs – Sexually Transmitted Infections and Safer Sex
      • Don’t Pass It Along (reduced to “STD Family Tree”)
        • Youth were given a STD Family Tree graphic attached to this curriculum. They were then asked to share their thoughts. Answers included, “It shows that if you have sex with one person you might get something from any of the other people they’ve had sex with if you didn’t use protection.” They were then asked “Can you tell by looking if someone has an STI? Can you tell if a person is uninfected?” Answers included, “No! It’s not written on their forehead.” Youth were reminded that sometimes people who have an STI don’t even know they are infected themselves.
      • Condom Demonstration
        • Alex, Terlessa, Jesus, and Janeth demonstrated using the male condom on the wooden models. Alex reviewed the important things to remember when using a condom. Although giggly, youth were very interested.
      • Practicing Condom Use
        • 4 youth tried themselves and others preferred to watch.
      • Role Plays On Talking With A Partner About Safer Sex
        • Jesus and Janeth role played a situation where a girl talked to her sister and would like to start using condoms with her sexual partner. The boy does not want to and feels that the girl doesn’t trust him. Jesus and Janeth did a great job showing that this type of conversation may be awkward but completely necessary and important. (see image below)
      • Buying Condoms
        • Jesus and Janeth role played a situation where a shopper comes in and needs to ask to buy condoms. YAs did a great job showing that it can be uncomfortable to buy condoms but it is better to feel uncomfortable for a few minutes and comfortable about the future. (see image below)
      • Lesson 6: Conversation Is The Key – HIV and AIDS
        • HIV Call
          • Alex, Jesus, and Janeth took turns telling a story about a girl who received a phone call from a health center telling her that someone who tested positive for HIV named her as a past sexual partner. The person from the health center offered free testing to the girl and asked for a call back. Youth were then asked the following questions and discussed them.
            • Raise your hand if you would call the person back right away. Why would you call or not call?
              • Most youth raised their hand. Those who did raise their hand said they would need to know so they know how to move forward. Those who did not raise their hand said it would be scary and they wouldn’t want to know.
            • How would you deal with these feelings?
              • Youth said they would be angry and “kill” the person who gave it to them and then themselves. They were reminded that there are now treatments for HIV and someone can live a long and happy life with HIV.
            • What things did you do that put you at risk? How much are you at risk of HIV?
              • Youth said it was having sex with multiple people, not using protection, and not having a conversation before having sex. They said someone who does those things is at high risk of HIV.
            • Let’s say you get tested and you find out that you are negative. Would you do anything differently when it comes to sex?
              • Youth said to make sure it never happened again because it would be a scary experience. They said they would always insist on using protection or asking their partner if they’ve been tested.
            • Why might someone choose not to get tested? What are the risks associated with no testing for that person? What are the risks for that persons sex partners?
              • Youth said because it is hard to accept that your life could be changed forever but not getting tested puts someone at risk for getting AIDS and not coming back from an illness. They said that person could then give HIV to their sexual partners and it would continue to spread because nobody said anything.
            • ABC’s of HIV and AIDS
              • YAs and Alex reviewed the true/false statements within the lesson and youth shouted out “true” or “false”. If they were confused about a statement it was then explained further.
            • Closing – LAST OBGC SESSION
              • Write one thing you feel that you learned from our time with you..it can be the most interesting or exciting thing or it can be something you feel is really important that you will take away from this.
              • Write on index card and place on newsprint/poster board
                • THANK YOU!
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