The New Conservatory Theatre Center (NCTC) - Survey Results
The following comments from students were taken from a survey conducted by NCTC at the Chico, CA school involved in the project.
Do you have any suggestions for how to improve communication about AIDS between young people and adults?
"Adults need to learn how to talk about AIDS and sex in a straight forward manner. They need to learn how to not get embarrassed when they're talking about it. Kids aren't nearly as embarrassed as the adults talking about it."
"The adults should be more open to the idea that teenagers have sex, Get past right or wrong + be supportive."
"Talk to kids about it from a very young age."
"Some people just don't have an adult to talk to at home. I think that to improve communication between kids and adults is to have a radio station where kids can call in and talk to adult they don't know. Most of the problem is talking about intimate things with someone you know and have to live with. If kids can just talk and ask all the stupid questions they need to, maybe they will become less shy with people they do know."
"Not really any way possible. I can't talk to my parents at all, comfortably."
"No, because most adults don't want to here about it. My mom doesn't and I would really like to talk about it with her."
"Just tell kids the truth."
"No, I've always been able to communicate well with my parents 'cause my mom & stepdad are both nurses. So lack of communication concerning AIDS has not been an issue for me."
"My family is conservative, I'm not. It bites hard. My parents avoid the subject as long as possible. When they finally talk about sex they use the most technical terms. Sex ed. should be normal and open and comfortable. It's not."
"Have a class or meeting that parents/adults can attend to learn how to discuss AIDS with kids. Teach to parents about AIDS & techniques to use when talking w/younger people."
"People will never be comfortable talking about AIDS until they are comfortable talking about sex."
"I would like to talk to my father about AIDS, but it seems we are both shy about it. I could talk to my mother, but we don't get along very well. I think because my father grew up in a Christian home, they didn't talk about it, so he feels reluctant also. I think the schools should help educate more."
"TALK -- it's not that hard!"
"Just be completely open, blunt and honest that's all we ask of you don't sugar coat anything."
"I really think adults should take this survey because in some ways we are much more educated than they are."
Do you have any suggestions for how schools can improve AIDS education to make it more relevant and meaningful to young people?
"I don't think AIDS awareness in school should be optional. I think it should be mandatory like health and parents shouldn't keep their children from AIDS awareness classes. It should be a subject taught like English & Math & History."
"When I had Sex Ed, the movies we watched were very old. Some of them were so old that for the diseases they said had no cure, now have a cure. I like the idea of watching plays or whatever at school, because I could relate to that more."
"No. People who want to have sex without taking responsibility for it are not going to listen anyway that you tell them. No matter what you teach them, if they're still not going to use a condom then there's no point."
"I don't think that the schools should be so uptight about the teaching of AIDS. I often talk to my friends about these topics & I feel if the school was more comfortable, the students would be more comfortable & willing to learn & listen."
"They could at least present it in school. I have never talked about it at X high school except for personal discussion. I think that the parents of students at XHS are too conservative to allow AIDS discussion at school. I also think that students that are not very educated on the subject of AIDS still know more than their parents."
"I think providing condoms at school would lower the risk that students face. Thank you! Please educate ignorant parents against this."
"People our age shouldn't be having sex in the first place. It's stupid. They think they're in love but they're not."
"Make sure teachers who are teaching about AIDS know what they're talking about! I've gotten more false information (such as the pill prevents AIDS) at school than anywhere else."
"Please -- no more of these cheesy school movies with famous people and neon signs and synthesizer music."
"Quit teaching safe sex. Trust me. Go ahead teach about how bad the AIDS virus is, and teach no sex until marriage. I know the way kids my age are. They never hear no sex. They only hear about safe sex. Don't even teach safe sex, or no sex (your choice). Teach only no sex, if you want to see improvement in today's society."
"I think they should have kids talk to kids about AIDS. That way more kids would be able to talk more openly and freely on the subject of AIDS and sex."