HIV basics

The window period

WORLD NO TOBACCO DA
DAY
AY
Tobacco has
200 poisons.
Th
These damage the
d h llung
cause heart attacks and
cancer, and reduce the
blood's ability to carry
oxygen around the bod

HIV can Quiz: Have y

be transmitted during the window period. ever smoked?
k d Tell
story about smoki
Why did you start?
o.6 June 2009 happened?
Vol.15 N

Girls & boys

This created the false belief that
boys are more intelligent than
girls. Today we know this is not
true. If given equal chances, girls
and boys perform equally well.
Girls and boys are created with L
equal brains to think and succeed.. M
n
So why are girls performing c
poorly in school? In 2008 half of f
all the girls either failed or got c
Div 4 in their O Level exam. In 19 g
rural districts, no girls passed in L
division one. Boys did far better.
B
y
r
Grace Nambi and Kato
v
th Kaligo of Progessive SS
In the February Straight Talk we fa Mukono. Girls are not
asked you: "what is disturbing inferior. All of society
girls?" Over 137 of you from 32 B wins when girls are also
schools wrote in. Thanks you so se helped to do well.
much. We value your views. w
You all WIN caps. to

is a football star
who plays for Barcelona. He is
from Cameroon. In the previous
season Eto'o performed poorly. He
was almost expelled from his club.
.
During the UEFA champions
league final match between
Manchester United and Barcelona
on 26 May, Eto’o scored the
first goal.
Hi there, learn from Eto'o. You may
not have performed well last term.
You have this term to work hard. Set
your record right.
New Quiz
G ifted Hands byy Ben
Carson is an inspiring book about a poor boy
who grew up in a ghetto with his brother and mother.
In secondary school, he performed poorly and
thought he would fail in life. But his mother limited
his television watching and playtime and told him to
read two books a week. He quickly improved. "It was
at this moment that I realised that I wasn't stupid", he
says. This boy overcame many challenges to become
a famous neuro-surgeon, a doctor who operates on
the brains of children.
Win Gifted Hands
Send us your true stories of what your parents/
guardians have done and are doing to look after the
family and educate you. Write to PO Box 22366 K'la.
PINGIRE SS, SOROTI, IS STRAIGHT TALK'
KS
JUNE STAR SCHOOL ,WLVYHU\IDUIURPWKHSRVWRIÀFH
but their letters get to Straight Talkk early. Wherever you
are, write to Straight Talk, PO Box, 22366, Kampala.
2 Straight Talk, June 2009

Girls have hard times: So give them

a break!
In addition, males keep pestering
F or many years, results at almost
every level show that only
about two girls feature
girls for relationships.

among the best ten Moreover, society places very

students in academic high expectations on girls
performance. Girls have in terms of how they speak,
really tough issues to what they do and even the
deal with as teacher places they visit. This adds
Omara Ronald more pressure on them, while
of Crane High School the boys are left to do as they
explains: please.

"Boys have less bodily or In spite of all their troubles,

biological disturbances than girls,
and so they have more time for
books. Girls, on the other hand,
must deal with monthly periods that
in some cases disorganize them for
up to four days.
girls have challenged boys at school
and in various fields.
Their failure to compete with boys
is largely due to biological, physical
and social pressures that distract
them from their goals."

Brideprice are
thought s: Girls
marry by parents
pressured to
Tell us your
TOUGH TIMES: Girls are pressured to marry & who want brideprice. u have
stories of what yo ice.
bri
bring in brideprice. People
e make comments about their breasts
seen about bridepr
and other body changes. All this is confusing and distracting.

Straight Talkers share stories of what is disturbing girls

Your letters show of Education and Sports, Girls feel bad and are left to get these
that many girls face Grace Ntete, says this is a big things from men who demand for
it rough at home, problem that leads some girls sex. Some parents first pay school
school and in the to give up on school. fees for boys. Girls are sent back
community. It takes home and miss lessons.
a lot of their energy Negative teachers O Leopards, Amolatar SS
just to cope with If the boys perform better than This is sad. Girls and boys need
the challenges that girls, some teachers tell girls to equal support in education. Talk to
push them back. get married. Atenya E, S3, someone if your parents want you
Pingire SS, Soroti. to leave school to make way for Men disturb
Menstrual periods This is wrong! Teachers should your brother. girls on their
Twenty-two Straight Talkers encourage and not discourage way to school.
said that girls miss school due students. Wrong cultural beliefs This consumes
to menstruation. G Amooti, “Some people say that women are their time.
Blessed Mother Theresa Unsupportive parents the weaker sex." Wekwanya F, St Nanono
College, Masindi says: Twenty-eight of you said some John’s College Magale Josephine,
"Dirty toilets and lack of pads parents do not invest in girls' Girls, do not internalise this Mende Kalema
for menstruation force some education. "They fail to provide harmful belief. Boys and girls are Memorial SS,
girls to be absent from school." their daughters with books, different but neither is weaker Kampala
An official from Ministry clothes, shoes, pocket money. than the other.

Fear of science
"Many girls have negativ
WIN A NOVEL
e attitudes towards science
When government mad
performed poorly." Kissa
e them compulsory, girl
Lydia, St John’s Colleg
s
s.
WITH STRAIGHT TALK
Magale, Mbale. e
nne Rukundo with her prize, the novel The
olour Purple. She is doing Physics, Chemistry, Biology and
Thirty four of you shared athematics at Trinity College Nabbingo. Asked what she would
Lydia's view. But Dr
Angelina Kakooza, a o if she were the Minister of Education and Sports, she said:
lecturer at Makerere
School of Medicine. says would implement programs to help girl discover and use their
: "Girls, you are not
poor at sciences and mat ilities. W
We need to be empowered with life skills to work against
h. Sciences are simple.
Change your attitudes." allenges that push us back."
Dr Sophy Musana of adam Wabwemi of Pimba
the National
Agricultural Research S, Wakiso also won The Colour
Organisation,
says: "At university, plan rple and a cap. He saus: "I work ha
t breeding
and genetics was believe make a difference in my life."
d to be
the hardest course but I
took it on.
I believed in myself. I gre
w up with Other Colour Purple
my two elder brothers, winners: Esther Atenya
a from
sciences. When I reache who also did
d O-level, they gave ngire SS, Soroti and Levis Onziku
me their notes, encourage
d and helped me." ropi SS, Moyo. The Colour Purple i
Boys, support your sis out of girl born into a life of pover
ters. Girls,
the gateway to opportu science is
d perpetual rape. She overcomes
nity. st and discovers peace and happin
in Gifted Hands. See page 1.
 Straight Talk, June 2009 3

And girls - get serious! The

power
of not
M
any Straight Talk ns." This view is held of growing up. Be aware of your body
wrote to us that of you. Oh dear! Do changes and be in control. giving up
disturbed by thei not let love disrupt
own beliefs, attitudes your studies. If you Crispus Wanyama of Busia SS It is called perseverance.
and behaviour. are in a such a says girls are lazy and think boys
relationship, get help. have to work for their survival. "In Set targets that you can
Love with teachers is our class we had four girls who used achieve, such as "I must
no go area. to say that even if they failed, men are read at least two subjects
Thirty-four of you believe always struggling with books to cater
girls lack confidence and for them in future."
every evening before
fear to ask questions. JK Really! Today’s man wants to get bed." Make a plan and
Amony, Valley Hill SS, girls lack a vision for stick to it until it becomes
hooked to an educated girl who can
Kaliro says that even if ure. W
When you ask
at they want to be,
contribute to the family income. a habit. You may fail in
have not understood, th Anyway, let's not assume. Let's ask
to ask teachers. "That m t laugh. They lack the short term but that is
the boys to tell us. ok. Good things come to
them fail exams." odels," says Mpindi
Hey, you surely know ba
who are free to ask ques
Halima, 15, S3. Valley
Hill SS, Kaliro 4XL] Boys, what is your
take on chics who have the views
those who persevere.
Learn from them. e a vision of what you Do not Give up
to be. Place it where expressed by Crispus? Is that your Grace Milly, Tororo Girls
Build healthy self an see it. Identify kind of babe or not? Why? Write to School, says: "
esteem eone you admire. Work Straight Talk, 22366, Kampala. Girls want easy things. They
to be like that person. GRQ·WSHUVLVWLQGLIÀFXOW
Self-esteem is about fee WLPHV*LUOVPDNHVXUH
valued and thought wel SHRSOHGRQRWVD\WKDWDERXW
by others and yourself.. "Girlss sp
spend much time admiring
ny ggirls spend their their be
beauty, dimples and bodies in \RX
If you do not feel good d
about
bout yourself, searc
search in idle ta
talk discussing the mir
mirror. They get busy sharpening
yourself to discover whwha boy friends, holida
holiday their
heir eye brow
bro pencils rather than
is causing this. It could b s, and going out for studying.
tudying. Boy
Boys bath, wear their
how others treat you or e, while the boys clothes
lothes and are
you see yourself. Are yo ratee on their stud
studies off to read,"
ead,"
inner
nner thoughts findi
finding fa Rukundo Anna Maria, says NR
everything you do? Trai 18, S5, Trinity College Winnie, 15,
to have good feelings. Nabbingo. Girls, time is S3, Dabani
Good self-esteem helps Use it well. Girls SS.
for help, solve problems Twenty-eight
and do well in school. traight Talkers
eed! Hmm, girls
Oundo Nelson, our outer beauty
S3, 18, Busiime SS, Busia, ccompanied with
Fifty-eight of you say love confuses believes adolescence affects power and values
girls. "Some girls fall in love with boys girls' thinking. They feel eerie as working hard
and fail to concentrate on books," and out of control. planning your time Student
says Odongo Denish, 18, Dokolo Adolescence is natural stage well. of Shamim
SS. High School,
7KHUHLVQRWKLQJZURQJZLWKFDULQJDERXW\RXUORRNV%XWLI Bombo
Brenda Baguma, Duhaga SS, \RXDUHVSHQGLQJDORWRIWLPHRQEHDXW\\RXQHHGWRVHW
Hoima adds: "Some girls love their
\RXUSULRULWLHVULJKW&KDUDFWHUDQGLQQHUEHDXW\DUHPRUH Challenges help you
male teachers, so they feel shy to ask
LPSRUWDQW+DYHHQRXJKWLPHIRUERRNV S Evelyn, from MIFUMI discover strengths that you
never knew you had.

Dear diary, Tanzania to visit a friend. I miss Due to stress, I could hardlyy breathe. James, I was born with HIV. I knew
ife isn't shifting.
g I pplan So the ppneumonia started. Myy doctor myy status in 2005 after secondaryy
In Mayy I had an excitingg tr moneyy from crafts in our advised me to stopp worrying,
y g take school. But at school I used to fall
to Gulu with the team getti
g aravan. medicine and cover myself well when it sick. I was so tiny.
y I was nicknamed
ppeople's
p suggestions
gg on the is cold. mosquito.
q But I didn’t ggive a damn.
HIV/AIDS Bill. (A Bill is a Letters to Jane I focused on my books.
pproposed
p law, which is yyet t Charles went to see the counselor
be presented in Parliament) ama Eric, St Charles
anga College, Koboko because he was confused. He needed ARVs means Anti-Retrovirals.
s: What caused the fight someone to talk to. The counselor These drugs g are taken byy HIV
If approved,
ppp this will cooled him down because he was ppositive ppeople
p with a low CD4 count
ppunish ppeople
p with HIV who and why did your boyfriend go
away for several days? How angry and had not realized his (too few white blood cells) and too
maliciouslyy infect others. mistake. much HIV in the
Some pparts of this Bill are did you get pneumonia and
what advice did the doctor give blood. ARVs
unfair. I do not agree with It seems you have been living make the HIV
them. you? Why did your boyfriend go
to the counselor and why did he positively since birth. How virus dormant.
cool him down? have you been associating This helps
p the
I saw Kafu and Karuma falls with other people? Explain the bodyy to pproduce
enjoyed
j y the beautiful rhythm meaning of ARVS and how enoughg white
their music. c. The fight
g was due to they work in one’s body and blood cells to
e's staying
y g awayy from me
ays
y minus a call or a text the changes they have caused fight
g disease.
A friend has offered to sell in your life. Kato James, ARVs have made
myy crafts abroad. I also message.
g I was scared
that somethingg bad Central School, Hoima me strongerg and
ggave some to myy love, healthier.
Charlie. He traveled to had happened
ed to him.
4 Straight Talk, June 2009
Dear
STF
O. Box 223 6 66
P.P.O. Bo x 22 36
M P A L A
K AM P A L A
K A
Love competition
e are two boys loving
W one girl. I don’t want
him to love the girl. Brain
Kusiima, Bwikya Muslim SS,
Hoima
Hi Brian, there is little that you
can do to stop this. Sometimes it
happens. Don’t fight or hate the other
boy. You may compete until the girl
makes her choice. Respect yourself.
Don’t be discouraged if she doesn’t
choose you. It doesn’t mean you
are bad or inferior. There are many
babes out there. One of them will be
yours.
In love with a teacher
My friend loves a teacher.
She says she only fears
pregnancy but not HIV. She
is persuading me to love a
teacher and get free marks.
Sophia Namukuve, Ndege
College, Iganga
Dear Sophia, it seems very easy
to go into a relationship and say
one does not fear HIV. But having
HIV is a very serious complication
of life. Getting pregnant when you
are young is a big challenge. Free
marks may seem easy, but you are
risking. Do not fall into that trap.
Wait to start sex until you have better
control over your life. Do not risk
complicating your life and regret for
the rest of the time. Concentrate on
your books and finish studies. Your
friend has made a bad decision.
Pulling
Is it true that the pulling
the labia minora and majora
in girls is important in
reproduction?
B Achom, 14, S2, Serwanga
Lwanga Memorial SS, Kalangala
Labia minora and labia majora are
medical names for the lips of the
vulva/vagina. Pulling of these lips
is a cultural practice of some tribal
groups in Uganda. From the medical
point of view, it is not important for
reproduction.
Know your
body: Penis shapee
Worried about the bend
of your erect penis? Rest
assured. An erect penis bends
pointing up, down, to the left or
right. It is normal.
A penis is not like
a non living thing
like a ruler or a
pen that can be
completely straight
. The shape of an
erect penis varies
from one male to another. No
penis is completely straight. By
Dr Edith Nakku, Mulago,
STD Clinic
Should I back off?
Inspiration: Do not make your background your I have been with my
permanent address. What matters is not where you come boyfriend for two years.
One day I went swimming
from but where you are going. with some male friends.
When he saw them, he got
angry. When I went to his
house, he refused to talk
to me. I apologized. But he
said before he forgvies me,
I should first kiss his penis
because whenever he see
me he erects. Should I do it
or I should back off? Pedox
Remex, Namongoona High
School, Kampala
ARemex, It is time to back off. A
A
relationship is a good thing, when
you care about someone, who cares
too. You talk and listen to each other.
You don’t force your partner to do
what he hates. If one of you is not
ready for sex, discuss and come to
a compromise. Your friend seems
to want to force you into sex. Don’t
Students of Cityland College, Matugga, Wakiso, pose for a picture during make a relationship where you are
the launch of their Straight Talk club recently. hurt.
Pre-ejaculate and
pregnancy
If you have sex with an
infected person and he does
not release sperms in you,
do you get pregnant? Gloria
Nakajubi, Mandela SS, Hoima
By infected person, do you mean
a person with HIV? You could be
impregnated by a man who is
HIV positive and one who is HIV
negative. When a man is excited
and erects, a fluid called pre-cum
(pre-ejucalute fluid) comes from his
penis. Pre-cum has very few sperms.
But since you need only one sperm
to become pregnant, this pre-cum
can make you pregnant. It also has
HIV. So even when the man does
Members of Bunya SS Straight Talk club, Mayuge. The club has 360 not ejaculate (release sperms), the
members. Does your school have a Straight Talk club? Form a club. possibility of getting pregnant is there.
You can also get HIV. Gloria, there
are very good reasons
AD VI CE 2 BO B
for you to delay sex
until you are ready.
Dr Paul Semugoma,
In Straight Talk April, show the exact biological International
Bob said: “I had a girlfriend father of the child." Nabukalu Hospital Kampala
who wanted me to have sex Shamim 16, S4 Kazo SS,
with her. I refused. She got Nakayenga Mary Gollet,
another boyfriend. They had have the same view with
sex. She got pregnant. When
her parents asked who made
Sydney and also win prizes. Science exam
There is a
her pregnant, she said I did. I "I think the girl is trying to lot of wrong
am expected to provide for the protect her boy friend from
child. What can I do?” information
being taken to prison. Get about growing
advice from a counselor." up & HIV/
A Sydney, Kisubi High J Ssengendo, Kazo SS
School, Wakiso says: "Sorry UYWEFA club, Kampala
STDs. Test
Bob. Discuss the problem with how much
your parents, who will free "Ask for a meeting with both you know and
you from the mess. If they fail, the girls’ parents and yours. WIN a cap.
wait until the child is born and Let her be in the meeting." Draw diagrams if necessary.
carry out a Deoxyribonucleic
acid (DNA) test. This test can
J Kiryowa, UYWEFA club
Kampala
Send your completed quiz
to PO Box 22366, Kampala.
1. If someone is HIV positive
and pregnant, they can take
medicines to reduce the
Readers - advise Prossy
y chances of the baby catching
Myy boyfriend
y feels bad when I talk to other boys.
y He HIV. True or false?
thinks that I love them, yet
y theyy are just
j friends. When I 2. Why do STDs that cause sores
on the private parts of a person
explain to him, he doesn’t believe. with HIV make it easier for that
Namigadde Prossy, S3, 16, Premier High school, Kampala person to transmit HIV? Explain.
3. Where does HIV stay in the
STRAIGHT TALK FOUNDATION
male's fluid - the sperm cell or
semen?
Plot 4 Acacia Avenue, Kololo, P. O. Box 22366, Tel: 0312-262030/1 Kampala (U),
E-mail: strtalk@straight-talk.or.ug, Web: www.straight-talk.or.ug, Executive Director: C. Watson, Director
4. Describe healthy vaginal fluids.
Print T. Agutu, Editorial Manager: M Akello, Editors:J. Abongowath, F. Ouma, P. Kiwuuwa Photo 5. What changes will a girl see in
Editor: G. Awekofua, Writer: J. Nafula, Chief Designer: M. eB Kalanzi, Designers: G.B Mukasa, her vaginal fluids if she has an
A.B Dentine, Funded by DANIDA, DFID, SIDA A Printer: The New Vision infection?