Quiz

Remember the HIV basics

• A baby can get HIV when it is
in the womb, being delivered,
or breastfeeding. ARVs given to
mother and baby around the How did you spend
time of birth reduce the chance your holidays?
of HIV infecting
your baby. Did you stay safe?
Send true stories to
• If you are going 22366 Kampala and
to be teenage win the novel The
parents, you Color Purple. Get
MUST test
together for inspired!
HIV when
you go for

*?!
antenatal
check up. h 2009
. 3 Marc

Early
1 6 N o
Vol.

fatherhood
B oys, so you have been in a hot and
booming relationship. One day she comes
to you in tears. Her only words are: "I am
This Straight Talk brings you true life stories from
young people like you. Check this one.

pregnant!" What would you do? Maybe you

would give excuses: "It's not me… That's a big I went into hiding
joke…" . Or you pose a slippery question: "How "Four months after we had unprotected sex,
do you know I am the one?" she told me she was pregnant. She asked me
to marry her. But I was not ready.
The fact is: she is pregnant, and you are the Her parents were also not ready to keep
one. Reality check. You are going to be a her. They were bitter and reported me
teenage dad, just like she will be a teenage to police. They said I had defiled their
mum. This is happening outside there, daughter. I went into hiding. My parents
around you, everyday. Teenage pregnancy had to sell our only cow to cater for my
in Uganda is high: 25 out of every 100 girls get transport into hiding.
pregnant between the ages of 15 and 19. Boys,
you wouldn’t want to be responsible for any of My parents tried to settle it with the
these. Neither do you want to get HIV, drop out of girls parents. They disagreed. It was a
school or see the inside of a prison cell. difficult time and big lesson for me".
Zakaria Majid,
Kapchorwa Tough,
Use your beauty Straight Talkers, unwanted
stressful
in a good way pregnancies never need to happen.
Temptations will always be there.
and
But you can resist and achieve your confusing,
F eb's Straight Talk talked about
looking good. Headteacher Abibu
best life. Are you already a dad? What
happened? How do you manage? Write but you can
Siseka of Real College, Luwero,
added more: "Everyone in the world has
to Straight Talk, 22366, Kampala.
avoid and
something beautiful in their bodies, and it is
not bad to be beautiful. overcome it.
But often when
When you make
a girl is told that a girl pregnant, it's
she is beautiful,
she finds herself
wasting time,
not just about the QUIZ:
even time meant
for books, on
sex. It's Girls are as
intelligent as boys.
making herself
even more about So why are girls
performing poorly?
beautiful.
a child In 2008 half of
Even some boys,
who will all girls either
when you tell failed or got Div
them that they
are handsome, call you 4 on their O-level
exams! This is
develop the habit of having many
partners because they feel on top of the daddy terrible. What is
disturbing girls?
world. HIV is very active, and if you
misuse your beauty, you can end up in
the HIV boat."
and need Send true stories of what is happening
Thanks, headteacher! We love it to go to to girls in your school to Box 22366,
Kampala.
when elders advise us.
school. Win an ST cap.
What drives boys into sex?
Ok, boys, you will agree with me
that at this time I almost said: 'What-
ever, let's do it.' But I had learnt from
Straight Talk radio that when
someone is attractive, it does not
We know that there are many reasons why boys get into early sex and become teen dads: curiosity, mean that even the blood is. At that
strong sexual feelings and peer pressure. But probably the toughest situation is when girls ask for sex. moment I pushed her out and called
This is a reality,. It happens. Read on. the askari to escort her to the girls'
side. Okwi Isaac, Ngora
"She
She wanted it removed her Straight Talk says: Wow, Isaac,
"I was sharing a room with a sister you struggled. And you are
to my brother’s wife. One night she blouse as if to now OK. You win a cap.
came to my bed, saying she was say; 'Look at
scared to sleep alone. I accepted. But what you are
she started touching me and asked if
I wanted sex.
refusing." You are
Although our teacher had told us
the BOSS
Some boys are pressured by
the dangers of early sex, I did not friends who say they are "doing
remember a thing until I finished it".
playing sex. I have promised not to
repeat it. I might make her pregnant, "My friends used to say sex is
and my brother sends me back to the sweet," says A Mangeni, now 16.
village. Simon, S2 "So I found a nice girl, and one
day when my parents were away,
Straight Talk says: To make it I asked her to come home. We had
easier for you to keep your sex.”
promise to yourself, stop
sharing a room with her. But boys, remember, you are
the boss of your life. You are not
Many girls asked me following the commands of your
“I used to be in a boarding school. friends! You are also the boss of
When I came home for holidays, your sexual feelings and your
many girls asked me to love them. curiosity.
For long I resisted.
Whatever your reason for sex, be

But one day my parents went to the
village and Ieft me with my uncle.
When he went to work, one of the
girls came home. She said she had
just come to watch ‘Kinegeria’. I was
seated in a big sofa. She came and
sat near me. When people started
kissing on TV, she asked me if I have
ever tried it out. I told her no and
we tried it. Then we had sex. I don’t
know why I did it. I just found myself
doing it.” Muhamed, 17
Straight Talk says: It sounds too
attractive to be refused when
a babe asks for it. But you can
refuse it. Sex is resistible. Here
is proof. Read the next story!
ry
sto
Tr u e
She said I would not
regret
"I went for a youth camp. One of
exercises we did included boys and
girls pairing up and looking each
other in the eyes without blinking
(shut and open eyes quickly). The
first to blink lost the game. The girl I
paired up with followed me later to
my tent.
For about 10 minutes she just looked
around the tent. Then she looked at
me and said: 'I just let you win in
firm and think hard.
The results of sex are much heavi-
er than the reasons that push you
to have it.
Sex is in the brain.
that exercise.' I asked why and she Erections do not mean
said she became shy. She also said you need sex. You are
she had seen a real man in my eyes the boss of your body.
so she came to find out.
We sat there talking until 11pm. Then
she asked if she could sleep in my
tent since she was scared to go to the
girls' side. I said NO.
She insisted, saying if I had sex with
her, I would never regret. I still said
NO. Then she removed her blouse
as if to say; 'Look at what you are
refusing.'

Quiz: made
Has a girl or boy ever ur
u? Tell us yo
Walk away from pressure
sexual advances to yo Straight Talk
It can be tough to be
a
honest story and win 22366, Kampala
someone who says “no”
to pressure, but you can
diary. Write to PO Box do it.
Know your body: • Pay attention to your feeling
and beliefs. Stick to what is
s

the sperm cell right.

Can a boy run out of sperm • Use your inner strength and
due to wet dreams? No! He can't. Each confidence to stand firm and
testicle (ball) produces about 2000 sperm cells per walk away.
second, making about 400 million
A sperm everyday. • Stay away from peers wh
o
drop of pressure you into doing wro
semen about Facts of life things.
ng
this size contains •Pregnancy can occur the first
around 1500 sperm. time a girl or boy has sex. • Get friends who share you
r val-
Now you can imagine •A sperm cell can live for up ues. Then you can have mo
what would happen if re
to 72 hours inside the uterus friends saying "no".
you had unprotected and fallopian tubes. So the egg
sex. You are can meet the sperm cell and • Help a friend who is having
likely to become pregnancy can occur as long as trouble resisting pressure. It
is
a teen dad. powerful to join another by
three days after sex. sim-
•When a boy’s penis erects, there is ply saying, “I’m with you – let’
s
a clear fluid (pre-ejaculate), that is not go.”
semen, which comes out of the penis. It contains sperm Moses Okurut,
cells that can make a girl pregnant. So withdrawing the Deputy Director, Naguru
penis before ejaculation will not prevent pregnancy. Remand Home
Beware of defilement
Afterwards I was taken to court.
I have spent one month and a week
in Naguru Remand Home.
Don't get close to young girls, even
if they tempt you. The law is strong.

O n wooden benches arranged

in rows behind a brownish
building at Naguru Remand Home
You can't run from it." RT, 15

"On the day I was arrested I was

(a prison for young people) in
Kampala, the children sit silently.
Occasionally, they whisper to each
other and smile. Some are dressed
in coats and long dresses. Others
are wearing torn, dirty clothes.
These children are in prison. They
are between 12 and 18 years.
The stories of why they are in prison
include theft and fights. Many of the
boys are there for defilement.
Here they tell their stories.
We agreed to have sex
“I was in S3 and my girlfriend had
just finished S4. During
Don't get
leavers’ party we agreed to
close to young Yes, they are beautiful. Students of Mulusa Academy, Luwero, take
have sex. We decided to go
girls, even if
to my friend’s house. I do not
they tempt
know how they found us but
I was arrested and taken to
you.
Luzira Upper Prison where I
spent two months.
I did not know there could be The law
such consequences for sex. does not know "One day I was attending
If I'm released, I want to go if the girl
back to school. I would be seduced you.
time off to relax and share a light moment.
completing my S4 this year. Friends,
don't have sex with under age girls.
Wait until you have completed
school.” RK, 17
I escaped death
to my pay phone in town. A
woman came and accused
me of defiling her daughter. People
started beating me. Even when I
cried out that I did not know
why I was being
The law beaten, the crowd
is so strong could not stop. I was
you can’t run lucky that police
away from it officers took me to
the Police Station.
home. My girlfriend of two months
came to my house without a notice.
Soon her father also appeared
saying I was defiling her. I was
arrested and taken to police then to
Court. Finally I was brought here,
where I have been for five months.
Friends, avoid young girls. The law
does not know if it is a girl who
came to your house or tempted
you in the first place." J, 17
I now fear God
"I met a girl and we became good
friends. She started coming to
my home. One Sunday she came
home. She said that she will not
go back because her parents had
chased her. I told her that was
impossible. I had no money to
support her.
On Monday her aunt came with
police and arrested me. I was taken
to Kisungu Police Post where I
I would be spent three days before being
completing my taken to Kibuye Police Station
S4 this year but I where I stayed for a week. Later
have wasted my I went to court. I have been
time. here since October 2008."

Do not cause her death We lost our only cow

My 17-year-old son impregnated
very year about
E 300,000 females
a girl. He was in S4. I was
in Uganda try to get disappointed. I was charged one
rid of a pregnancy by cow and sh200,000/-. I felt pain
aborting. Many girls paying. J P Eilot, 47, Kumi
die.

The diary of a young positive

As the boy who
impregnates a girl,
you may end up
causing her death.
As Afuwa Sulair told
our Lusoga ST radio
show: "Sometimes
boys suggest the
abortion due to fear
of being charged with
defilement."
show the
Grace Ayikoru, 18, told STF's Lugbara radio
following sad tale:
d out that
"I had a friend who aborted. When she foun
rien d kept hidin g from her.
she was pregnant, her boyf
the only
When she finally got him, he said he was not
d not take resp onsi bilit y.
man in her life so he coul
ld walk on.
He said she was like a road every man wou
deci ded to abor t despite the
She cried herself sick and
good advice her friends gave her.
ght it
The boy gave her drugs for aborting. She thou
from his hom e. She swal lowed
would be wiser to abort
the medicine at night. The boy
had told the family he had a
guest. In the morning when
? they came to see the visitor,
they found a dead body.
This caused problems between
the two families. The girl’s
death was very shocking."
Jane, 19, was born with HIV. She started
ARVs in 2007. She volunteers in an office
and is an evening student. Last month, Jane
argued with her boyfriend Charlie and was
hospitalised with pneumonia.
Dear diary,
I’m feeling better and am back at work. I'm
taking antiobiotics (drugs used to kill bacteria
infections) to help my breathing. Of course I’m
continuing my daily ARVs. Guess what? Charlie
took me for an outing and we ate pork. I felt
great.
I met Charlie at a support group for
youth with HIV. I had just found out
that I had HIV. I was thin, stressed,
sick and in denial (refusing to
accept your situation). He came up
to me and said: "You do not have to
feel so low". To his friends he said: "I
think that can be the girl for me."
The group has really helped me.
When I saw young people who
were positive but happy and
dancing, I thought: "I can be like
them. I can be happy and even
dance better than them."
Charlie has known that he has HIV
since S4. Personally I wouldn't date
an HIV negative boy. You wouldn't
be so comfortable. You wouldn't be
settled or open to him.
I am working on the Caravan show.
Us youths with HIV do skits, dances
and poems. It's really good. I’m a
talented actress. I act a rich student
who has a relationship with a
teacher. We encourage youth with
HIV to take their drugs. I talked to
70 students at Taibah. When I said I
had HIV, they were moved, scared
and touched.

Dear
Syfa
6 inside the vagina until you remove
Bo x 22 36
POO.Bo x P22A36
P.
L
6
A it with your finger.
M
KK AA M P A L A
Virginity and circumcision
Can I lose my virginity by being
circumcised? A Kato, 17, S4,
Lubiri, ST Club, Kampala
Circumcision is the removal of the
foreskin. Virginity is lost the first
time a person has sex. Therefore
circumcision does not take away
your virginity. Keep your virginity.
If you are thinking of circumcising,
feel free to approach a trained
health worker to assist you.
Condoms and HIV
Is it true that condoms reduce the
chances of HIV entering someone but
do not give complete protection? R
Munyezinga, 19, S6, Kasese HS
When used correctly and
everytime you have sex, condoms
give good protection against HIV.
Before use, check the condom
to ensure it is not expired.
But abstinence offers the best
protection against HIV, STIs and
pregnancy. Abstinence means not
having sex.
Relatives and in love
I fell in love with a boy who my
parents say is my relative. We do not
want to leave each other. What can
we do? Ataro S, 16, S3, YY Okot
Memorial College, Kitgum
Go slow on the relationship with
this boy. It is good your parents told
you. Ask them how you are related
and explain to the boy. Do not have
sex with him. Sex with a relative is
called incest. It is not acceptable.
You have same family genes. But
you can still be friends.
Science Corner: CD4 cell
ST’s young positive
Jane had a CD4
of 600 before she
fell sick in Feb. Her
count is now 400
even though she
takes ARVs.
Says Jane: “I want
to get it back to
over 600. I want to be like my
friend Betty whose count is over
1000 and her virus is undetect-
able. My virus is still detectable!”
SO what is a CD4? The CD4
cell is a type of white blood cell
(WBC). WBCs are responsible for
identifying and destroying germs
that cause illness.
But when HIV enters the body, it
looks for CD4 cells and uses them
to make more copies of HIV, de-
stroying them in the process.
Publisher: Straight Talk FOUNDATION Plot 4 Acacia Avenue, Kololo, P. O. Box 22366, Tel: 0312-262030/1, 0414530088 Kampala (U) Fax: 0414-534858, E-mail: strtalk@straight-talk.or.ug
Web: www.straight-talk.or.ug; Executive Director: Cathy Watson, Director Print: Teopista Agutu, Director Programs: Susan Ajok, Editorial Manager: Edith Kimuli,
Editors: Gilbert Awekofua, Martha Akello, Jackie Abongowath, Deo Agaba, Chief Designer: Michael eB. Kalanzi, Designers: Gb Mukasa, Allan B. Dentine, Funded by DANIDA, DFiD, SIDA
Being far does not mean being out of touch with us. Students
of Amolatar SS smile after receiving copies of Straight Talk.
Kampala SS ST club members enjoy Straight Talk. Their message to
all Straight Talkers is: Abstain, Be faithful or use Condoms.
Too much menstrual flow
Why do I release more blood
than others during menstruation?
J Namakula, 13, S2, High
Standard SS, Kiboga
The amount of blood you release
depends on your age, size and body
make up. Some girls like you will
have a heavier flow than others.
Though it may look like a lot, the
average amount of blood is only
about 2 tablespoons (30 mililitres)
for an entire period. You will
need to change pads 3 to 6 times
a day, with most frequent changes
So the very
cells that are
meant to
destroy HIV
are instead
destroyed by HIV!
A normal adult has between
600-1500 CD4 cells in every ml of
blood. The higher the CD4 count,
the better the immune system
performs.
When a person has HIV, the CD4
cells eventually become too few to
do their job of protecting the body
against infections. And when they
are fewer than 200-300 per ml of
blood, the person needs ARVs.
That is why it is important for HIV
positive persons to know their
“CD4 count”. People with HIV are Remember, it is health
injections to prevent y
considered to have normal CD4
count if the number is above 500.
the opening of the uterus, is so tight
that it cannot allow a condom to
pass through it. The cervix has to
be tight so that the when a baby is
growing in the uterus, it does not
fall out! The female condom cannot
go past the cervix into the uterus.
It is also made with special rings to
keep it in place. The condom lies
One testicle
I have one testicle yet I see my friends
with two when we are bathing. I am
worried I may not be able to produce
children after my studies.
Wambi G, 20, S6, St Peter’s
College, Jinja
Dear Geoffrey, one testicle can
produce healthy sperm cells too
- about 200 million a day! And
you only need one to fertilise an
egg. Do not worry. You will have
children when you are ready for
them. Visit a health worker for
more explanation.
Wet dream and sex
I am 16. I had a wet dream twice.
My elder brothers told me to have
sex with the girl I dreamt about to
prove I am normal. I am confused.
Wekwanya F, 16, St John’s
College, Mbale
Your brothers are misleading
you. Probably they want to feel
comfortable with their own
behavior by having someone doing
what they do. Wetdreams are a
when you period is heaviest. This sign that your body is functioning
is usually at the start of the period. well. They are also a sign that if
Visit a doctor if the bleeding is really you have unprotected sex, you will
too much. That would be when it make a girl
is pouring or with clots or lasts for pregnant.
more than 6 days or leads to you Do not
let your
feeling faint.
brothers
lead you
Female condom
into risky
Is it true that if you use a female
behavior.
condom you may die because it may Dr Edith
enter your uterus? C Awori, S3, Nakku
Dabani Girls’ SS, Busia – Mulago
Absolutely not. The uterus is a STD
closed organ. The cervix, which is Clinic
Quiz:
I first became pregnant in 2003 when I was 11. I would
want to go back to school. But I have little hopes since
I am pregnant again. SN, 17, Soroti What do you think
Sarah can do to go back to school or make her life better?
Write to SN and advise her.
I
n 2008, we asked yo
u to
Modern SS, Mbirizi, wh help a student of Mayira
o wanted to know wh
sometime abor t their y girls
pregnancies. Thanks
ing this difficult questio for answer-
n.
abor t because they: wi You said that girls sometimes
sh to continue with stu
to be ‘second hand’.; dies; fear
are pregnant due to ra
ing laughed at; do no pe; fear be-
t want to lose their bo
fear embarrassing pa yfriends; and
rents or being chased
Winners!
from home.
are: • K Anderu, Mun
i Gi
School, Apac •A Bwam rls’ SS, Arua •D Ogwal, PAG Comprehensiv
ba e
SS, Busia • Bile M, Am le, Maliba STC, Kasese •Gladys E, Dabani
olatar SS •Mugabe A Gi
• D Obok, Amolar SS Catherine, Howard HS rls’
• M Nakasiri, Nsangi , Busia
SS,Wakiso.
for sexually-active gir
pregnancy. ls to use pills and