Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2007. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Chicago Tribune - May 23, 2007
Alexa Aguilar, Tribune staff reporter, aaguilar@tribune.com
But when the 20-year-old singer spoke about his decision to stay a virgin in high school and how he's careful to use condoms and avoid the promiscuous lifestyle that tempts him on tour, the auditorium fell silent.
They also sat silent as they listened to the sobering story of Denise Stokes, a 38-year-old AIDS advocate who has been HIV-positive since she was raped at 13, and heard Dr. William Johnson, medical director at the Luck Care Center on the South Side, explain how HIV is transmitted.
Catching their attention was the aim of the forum about HIV/AIDS prevention at Robeson, the first Chicago school chosen by BET (Black Entertainment Television) networks for the AIDS program they present nationwide. In Chicago, the company teamed up with the Luck Care Center, an AIDS clinic, to provide a program they hope can harness the "power of the BET brand" to dispel myths and make the teens think twice before having unprotected sex.
"They are going to listen to Sammie and Coko [another singer at the forum], while they may not listen to Dr. Johnson," said Vikki Johnson, a manager of public affairs for BET. "But they will listen to Dr. Johnson if he's sitting next to Sammie and Coko."
About 300 students filled the auditorium, and they heard the speakers detail how AIDS is ravaging the black community. African-Americans make up 15 percent of the country's teen population but account for 66 percent of newly reported AIDS cases, the students were told.
"It's scary as hell. ... It's not cute," Stokes said as she detailed the medication she needs, sometimes 40 pills a day. She explained the painful side effects, her hurt and disbelief when she was diagnosed and the rejection she sometimes experiences from men who are not interested in dating a woman with HIV.
When students were invited to ask questions, they tentatively inquired whether a person could get AIDS from kissing, whether a girl could pass the HIV virus to another girl, whether Stokes can have sex, and how poor people with AIDS and no insurance can afford their medication.
A few students volunteered that they have witnessed family members struggle and die from HIV.
The problem is real for many of these students, said James Breashears, Robeson's principal.
He hears the students talking and knows there is a lot of misinformation about HIV. But facts and real-life stories coming from a famous person have more staying power than coming from him or their teachers, he said.
"This will have an impact," he said. "They'll talk about this for months to come."
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