AIDS-PROOFING YOUR KIDS: A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

Dear parents, sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles, teachers and counsellors, family friends, and all those who love and care for our children. You are not going to effectively protect our children from AIDS and other STDs until.....

• YOU ACTUALLY TEACH KIDS, without embarrassment, and help them practice the various skills of safer-sex and/or abstinence.
• YOU GET INVOLVED IN YOUR CHILDRENS' SEXUALITY in a comfortable, easy-going, good spirited, effective way -- WITHOUT EMBARRASSMENT!
• YOU HELP THEM LEARN, without embarrassment
  • confident purchasing of condoms,
  • habitual carrying of condoms,
  • effective, sensual ways of putting on condoms,
  • weird and wonderful ways to enjoy condomed sex,
  • easy, cool ways of disposing of used condoms,
  • joys and variations of non-penetrative sex,
  • safety and guiltlessness with masturbation,
  • ways of saying NO and making it stick without offending,
  • ABSTINENCE with realistic options and parental support.

WE MUST TEACH THESE SKILLS, NOT JUST MOUTH THEM. Kids learn by doing. They learn precious little by listening, especially on matters such as friends and sex.

AIDS PREVENTION IS NOT SIMPLY INFORMING our kids, making them aware, putting condom machines in schools, or lecturing them on abstinence. Unfortunately and tragically, our various governments think so. Too many public health and educational authorities unfortunately think so. Too many writers and celebrities unfortunately think so. Millions of dollars are being spent on slick magazine ads, entertaining T.V. spots, moving testimonials on the lecture circuit, and other well-meaning, so-called educational attempts at AIDS prevention. Many of these efforts provide employment for well-meaning folks in the entertainment industries, earn politicians and celebrities good-press, and give many public health professionals, educators, and parents, alike, the temporary relief that comes from doing something. Don't be lulled. Our combined 50 years of research experience with children, our clinical experience with habits of health, and our being parents, ourselves, force us to call current AIDS prevention efforts a TRAGEDY!

WE'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU HOW, in upcoming articles, you can effectively teach, without embarrassment, and get your kids to practice and develop the habits of safer-sex and/or abstinence. Stick with us and, in the meantime.....

.....pick up a copy ($8.95) of AIDS-PROOFING YOUR KIDS: A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE by Dr. Loren E. Acker, Dr. Bram C. Goldwater, Dr. William Dyson (Beyond Words Publishing: 1-800-284-9673). It has been endorsed by the Canadian Public Health Association, favourably reviewed by the World Health Organization, the American Psychological Association, numerous national AIDS organizations, clergy, parents, kids, and our families. It's a shame that too many book stores are embarrassed to carry it!

Go on to the first installment Talking Dirty