Deaf and HIV

Lysander

Lysander

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So what are people's thoughts on access to HIV related information in the Deaf community. As I'm actively looking, I've been meeting more and more Deaf gay men in my local area. I've come across some who are HIV+ and it seems to me like there's a lot of misinformation, or in some cases a complete lack of information around HIV. I used to be an HIV educator, I would go to schools/community organizations/colleges, and educate people on HIV. I do not remember a single program that was Deaf accessible.

I'm curious about everyone's information they received around HIV. Even in the hearing world access to HIV related information is very controlled. It's because adults don't want people talking to teenagers about sex or condoms and so they avoid the subject all together. I'm wondering if this same thing happens in Deaf Schools.

So I'm curious, what was your HIV education like in the Deaf community? How were you taught about it? Were you even taught about it? Did you learn from friends, or schools? Were there programs that helped you as a Deaf person learn about it? I'm really concerned for the Deaf gay men that I'm meeting because it sounds like they've been denied a lot of information in the past.

Also, if anyone has any questions about HIV that they're curious about, please don't feel afraid to ask. I was an educator and I keep up on a lot of information so I'd be happy to answer any questions as best I can. I'm not a doctor, but I have a good grasp on the information.
 
I kind of learned about AIDS & HIV on my own from reading... I was in college when the news of this disease exploded in the 80s (and in a very negative light).

As far as I know access to HIV education is even more limited in the Deaf & Deafblind communities. I've seen several funded research studies focusing on that. I was going to suggest Deaf Queer Resource Center but it looks like they don't have info or resources on their site (I know the guy who runs it-- he's always active & busy with his work & presentations). The list for Deaf lost to AIDS/HIV is LONG and is always updated on December 1- World AIDS Day.

Other than that I don't know really :(
 
In the 80s, I learned HIV through sex education at my elementary school. It was a big deal at the time. All of D/HH teachers at my elementary school taught sex education to Deaf/HH/Oral students. They used visual aids and videos. In early 90s, D/HH students, and I were taught with hearing students by watching videos together at middle school. Some middle school hearing teachers weren't really interested to ask us what we think of the sex education and STDs videos. High school doesn't count for me because it's a private school overseas and we only take one PE class during four year high school education. I already knew how HIV works because my mother worked in medical field. I remember watching elementary D/HH students talking about sex from what they saw, not how they were taught. There was a deaf student who knows a lot about sex because her mother is a nurse. She told the class how baby came out from the vagina and deaf students criticized her for being wrong and they thought all women push baby out from the stomach or belly button.

I returned back to states to finish my senior year and I was asked to work with 21 years old female student at high school who knew nothing about HIV, STDs and where the babies came from. Her parents didn’t use any sign language with her because they thought she couldn’t do anything. We had to use graphic visual aid to show her and give her ideas how sexual reproduction works. We made sure she understands STDs and it is very serious. I’m not sure she would understand it, but I hope she does.

I had a chat with interpreter at a college. She told me she tried to urge a young deaf woman to see a doctor, because she contracted herpes. Herpes were seen clearly on her mouth and chin. Ya know what I mean. She didn't believe interpreter and told her that it wasn't herpes. It was bad acne. I don't know if she actually went to see a doctor or not to have it checked out before she infects someone else. I got lots of crap from some deaf people at a college after I told them it's ok to kiss the one with HIV as long as it's not open sore or broken skin like blood. I tried to explain it is a virus and doesn’t like air. Nobody would believe me unless you are in medical field. We need people in medical field who know ASL. I believe they would listen to them.
 
Barbaro said:
In the 80s, I learned HIV through sex education at my elementary school. It was a big deal at the time. All of D/HH teachers at my elementary school taught sex education to Deaf/HH/Oral students. They used visual aids and videos. In early 90s, D/HH students, and I were taught with hearing students by watching videos together at middle school. Some middle school hearing teachers weren't really interested to ask us what we think of the sex education and STDs videos. High school doesn't count for me because it's a private school overseas and we only take one PE class during four year high school education. I already knew how HIV works because my mother worked in medical field. I remember watching elementary D/HH students talking about sex from what they saw, not how they were taught. There was a deaf student who knows a lot about sex because her mother is a nurse. She told the class how baby came out from the vagina and deaf students criticized her for being wrong and they thought all women push baby out from the stomach or belly button.

I returned back to states to finish my senior year and I was asked to work with 21 years old female student at high school who knew nothing about HIV, STDs and where the babies came from. Her parents didn’t use any sign language with her because they thought she couldn’t do anything. We had to use graphic visual aid to show her and give her ideas how sexual reproduction works. We made sure she understands STDs and it is very serious. I’m not sure she would understand it, but I hope she does.

I had a chat with interpreter at a college. She told me she tried to urge a young deaf woman to see a doctor, because she contracted herpes. Herpes were seen clearly on her mouth and chin. Ya know what I mean. She didn't believe interpreter and told her that it wasn't herpes. It was bad acne. I don't know if she actually went to see a doctor or not to have it checked out before she infects someone else. I got lots of crap from some deaf people at a college after I told them it's ok to kiss the one with HIV as long as it's not open sore or broken skin like blood. I tried to explain it is a virus and doesn’t like air. Nobody would believe me unless you are in medical field. We need people in medical field who know ASL. I believe they would listen to them.
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This is the same feel that I'm getting from some of the people that I talk with. There really do need to be more ASL capable providers. A signing deaf doctor would really be the best. They'd have the understanding of the community and the ASL skills to explain things. That seems to be very rare though. I really should get better at signing and go back into educating people.
 
Lysander said:
This is the same feel that I'm getting from some of the people that I talk with. There really do need to be more ASL capable providers. A signing deaf doctor would really be the best. They'd have the understanding of the community and the ASL skills to explain things. That seems to be very rare though. I really should get better at signing and go back into educating people.
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Too true. I lucked out years ago in finding a doctor who fit both of my needs as a patient. He was hearing but signed fluently. Bonus was he was very active in the deafblind community. Came highly recommended for the other reason I was looking for a doctor at the time. Liked him so much that when I moved away, I still managed to drive down for appointments. He's retired now last I knew.
 
Lysander said:
This is the same feel that I'm getting from some of the people that I talk with. There really do need to be more ASL capable providers. A signing deaf doctor would really be the best. They'd have the understanding of the community and the ASL skills to explain things. That seems to be very rare though. I really should get better at signing and go back into educating people.
Click to expand...

I forgot to mention my elementary school had a nurse with ASL. She was very fluent in ASL, and adored deaf children. Many deaf children liked to stop by her nurse's office to say hi. I wonder what happened to her now. I remember the class was very excited to ask her many questions, but they never asked a single question about STDs and sex education. The funny thing is the nurse didn't talk to us about sex education except the part where you fall down and break your arm, and how to deal with broken bone, and basic first aid talks. I assume it was a school policy at the time. It didn't make any sense that a nurse who happened to be available and was qualified to talk to us about sex education. I don't know the school policy is still enforced this time. Huge disappointment. I'm trying to convince my niece who is a PA to re-learn basic ASL, so she can communicate with patients. She knows ABCs and few signs. She works in dermatology field now. My cousin is a physical therapist and knows basic ASL pretty well. He is an ASL advocate, because it helped his father using sign language by communicate. His father's stroke robbed him of speaking. He works with many patients and uses it a lot. He also teaches classes at a college.

I'm glad you are doing this. If you plan to educate adult deaf people again, use lots of graphic visual aids like what HIV and STDs looks like. Make sure you ask deaf people questions to see how much they can understand the video. If you plan to hand out the tests, don't do multiple choice questions. It's too easy. They will forget later. Make them write answers to the question instead. That's the way to find out how much they understand. Tell them to repeat the questions if they're wrong, so they won't forget again.
 
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