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AID-2:  The Experience of Loss:    AIDS Sensitivity Exercise and Introduction

Goals:
1.    To gain insight into the emotional and psychological effects of living with AIDS.
2.    To bring about awareness of the AIDS Quilt
3.    To give participants the opportunity to combine art and social action.
4.    To begin a project which will build a positive, creative, symbol of remembrance of AIDS victims.

Objectives:
1.    Participants will complete "The Experience of Loss Work Sheet"
2.    Participants will go through an AIDS sensitive exercise and discuss their personal response to the exercise.
3.    Participants will begin the process of creating a memorial for specific AIDS victims or for victims in general, to submit to the Names Project AIDS          Memorial Quilt

Materials
Ditto on how to decorate the panel
Panels
Worksheet: "The Experience of Loss"
Pencils

Timetable:
0:00-0:20    Exercise:  "The Experience of Loss"
0:20-0:25    Break into groups
0:25-0:45    Discussion Questions
0:45-0:50    Reconvene
0:50-0:55    Explanation of the Names Project
0:55-1:00    Participants break into Individual Youth Groups (join smaller youth groups together)
1:00-1:10    TYG's Brainstorm

Procedure:
0:00-0:20    Exercise:  "The Experience of Loss"

-Have the PP's sit in one big group facing the front of the room
-The Board Members will pass out "The Experience of Loss" Worksheet

THE EXPERIENCE OF LOSS

POSSESSIONS
_________________________

_________________________

_________________________

GOALS AND BELIEFS
_________________________

_________________________

_________________________

SELF ESTEEM
_________________________

_________________________

_________________________

RELATIONSHIPS
__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

-Have the PP's quiet down for directions

Group Leader:
"In the first column marked possessions, list 3 objects that you possess and have meaning to you or our important to you.  It could be anything from a photograph to your car to jewelry."
"In the second column, labeled Goals and Beliefs, list 3 goals or beliefs.   Examples are a belief in God, a belief that people are basically good, a career goal, or a goal to maintain a successful relationship."
"In the third column, Self Esteem, list any 3 personal qualities or traits that make you feel good about yourself."
"In the final column, Relationships, list the 3 individuals in your life that are most important."

-After the directions the group leader will read "The Experience of Loss Narrative"

The Experience of Loss Narrative
"We have just jumped about 8 years into the future.  You are independent, on your own, living with friends in an apartment.  On night on T.V., you see a special about AIDS.  You find yourself wondering if maybe you ought to get tested.  You remember back to your college and highschool days.  You try to reassure yourself...you always had safe sex.  Well, almost always, except just those few times, but it was with your long term partners.  The changes are pretty slim, but you still worry.  You feel deep down in your gut a know that twists and turns.   Finally you decide to drive to the health department and get rid of that nagging fear.  You tell the receptionist you want to have an AIDS test.  You fill out an embarrassing questionnaire, asking you all about your sexual history.  A social worker calls out in from the waiting room.  She discusses your risk, your infrequent unsafe sex and explains the test.  You are to return in a week for your results, but she tells you not to worry, who is she kidding?"

SECOND VOICE: STOP, CROSS TWO ITEMS OFF OF YOUR WORKSHEET

"The week is the longest seven days of your life.  You can't concentrate on anything.  Your friends are concerned because you are so quiet.  You tell them its really nothing.  You keep thinking, "Maybe if I make a deal with God...maybe if I am a better person...or a better friend...maybe then I will be okay.  Finally, the day comes.  Your car magically finds it way to the health department.  You feel completely numb as you walk into the building.  A different social worker than last week ushers you into his office.  You try to read his expression, but you can't tell.  He says...the results are Positive."

SECOND VOICE: STOP, CROSS TWO ITEMS OFF OF YOUR WORKSHEET

"He says you must see s doctor ASAP.  You go to the doctor he recommended in a week.  The doctor gives you an exam and says you look healthy.  He tells you you can still live a long and full life, maybe.  He wants to do a test called a T cell count.  Its supposed to be above 500.  He calls you with the results in a few days...your count is only 350."

SECOND VOICE: STOP, CROSS TWO ITEMS OFF OF YOUR WORKSHEET

"You decide to tell your friends and family about your illness, they are crushed and they try to support you, but no one really understands what you're going through.   You call up all of your past sexual partners to tell them the news and warn them they are at risk.  You find out that your highschool boyfriend/girlfriend has also been diagnosed with AIDs.  You can't believe he/she never called you.  Six months go by and you realize your clothes are baggy and you are always fatigued.  You vaguely remember how you and your friends used to look forward to the weekends to party and just be together.  Now weekends just mean sleep."

SECOND VOICE: EXCHANGE PAPERS WITH THE PERSON NEXT TO YOU.  CROSS TWO ITEMS OFF OF THEIR WORKSHEET.  AFTER YOU CROSS OF THEIR ITEMS RETURN THE WORKSHEETS. 

"On top of everything else, the damn AZT pill that you must take make you queasy and remind you are HIV positive five times a day.  While at one of your weekly doctor's appointments, he finds a purple area on your back.  There is one on your neck too.  You want to scream but all you can do is listen to the doctor explain that you have Kaposi's Sarcoma, a form of skin cancer.  You know what this means, full blown AIDS.  You feel ugly, and dirty as your body continues to develop more and more purple spots...you are forced to quit your work, the position you had worked so hard to attain all of your life.  One Saturday, you think, "If I could only take a shower, I would feel so much better" You get up slowly and drag yourself to the bathroom..You are so short of breath you can barely stand up..your chest is tight and you have no strength to take a shower.  You parents come to the house and take you to the hospital.  The doctors do a bronshoscopy on your lungs.  You have a severe case of PCP...pneumonia.  You are in the ICU an may have to go on a respirator."

SECOND VOICE: STOP, CROSS TWO ITEMS OFF OF YOUR WORKSHEET.

0:20-0:25    Break into groups

0:25-0:45    Discussion Questions
-Has anyone ever considered what it would be like to have AIDS before?
-How did you feel during the exercise when you were forced to cross items off of your worksheet?
-How did you feel during the exercise when someone else crossed items off of your worksheet?
-Do you think that people think about the consequences of getting AIDS when they partake in risky behaviors, such as unsafe sex?
-Why do you think people continue to place themselves at risk for getting AIDS when we are all educated about its dangers?
-Do you think that was a realistic portrayal of what happens when you contract HIV?
-Do you think people's sexual behaviors have changed in the past ten years as a result of AIDS education?
-Do you think this activity was more or less effective than just hearing statistics about AIDS?

0:45-0:50    Reconvene

0:50-0:55    Explanation of Names Project

Group Leader:

"Now that we've thought about what it's like to experience loss as a result of AIDS, we're going to make a memorial for someone who experienced the ultimate loss, the loss of his life.  Biography of Person (Prior to the program try to find out information about a person who has died of AIDS.  The information should include: name, date of death, hobbies, etc.)  We will be constructing a quilt panel for the names project AIDS Memorial Quilt.  The Panel will be sent into the NAMES Office, where it will be attached to other panels. The Quilt includes over 25,000 panels.   The Quilt is displayed to encourage donations for funds for people living with AIDS>  The Quilt also creates AIDS awareness and has raised over 1 million dollars.  Each youth group will be responsible for decorating one patch for our quilt panel."

0:55-1:00    Participants break into individual youth groups

1:00-1:10    TYG's Brainstorm
-TYG's will be given time to brainstorm on how they will decorate their patch.  Board members will walk around and hand the patches and the directions.  One person from each TYG must also sign up to be the coordinator for their TYG.  It should be the SAVP, but if they are not there, it can be anyone else.