Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2003. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
 |
Miami Herald - Sunday, May 18, 2003
Draeger Martinez, drmartinez@herald.com
"As a mother, you're always worried about who is going to watch your child," Crystal told roughly 80 students at Miami Northwestern High School, 1100 NW 71st St., during an abstinence rally Thursday.
"My friends are always telling me about cute boys they've met -- and I can't hang out with them," she said. "I've got to watch [my son] and make sure he doesn't put anything in his mouth.
"I don't regret my son because he's beautiful. But if I could go back, I would have stayed abstinent."
Fellow teen mother Vanessa Etienne echoed Crystal's sentiment.
"My whole schedule revolves around my son," Vanessa, 15, told the youths. "Every day I have to cook and clean for him, plus do my homework and prepare for the next day. Parenting is a round-the-clock thing. Everything you do has consequences, including sex, which can lead to pregnancy and STDs."
Several nonprofit groups, including Minorities Overcoming the Virus through Education, Responsibility and Spirituality (MOVERS) and Project LEAP (Let's Enhance Adolescent Pride), sponsored the rally.
Along with Crystal and fellow teen mother Joe Anna Garland, two people living with HIV spoke about the hazards of having unprotected sex.
"HIV is no joke. There are medications to prolong life but how would you like to take 18 different pills three times a day?" said MOVERS member Sandra Mikell, 49. "I've been living with HIV for 18 years. When my HIV test came back positive, I considered suicide. But instead, I got stronger."
Michael Cure, another HIV survivor, had this warning for the students: 'A lot of men who learn they have HIV turn vengeful and say, 'If I've got it, I'm gonna give it to someone else.' And many of them do. So don't be deceived; protect yourself."
Several students said after the session that they took important lessons from the rally.
"It was educational so we can learn about HIV and AIDS and how not to get them," said Tremayne Haynes, 15. "It isn't right that kids our age have to take care of kids of their own but they're very strong to be doing that."
To Marilyn Ortega, 14, the rally was useful and important.
"Abstinence from sex and drugs is a good idea," Marilyn said.
"We're the future and we need to protect ourselves. It was good of them to talk with us. I hope they go to other schools too."
030518
MH030503
Copyright © 2003 - Miami Herald. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Miami Herald, Permissions, One Herald Plaza, Miami, FL 33132-1693 TEL: (305) 376-3719. http://www.herald.com.
AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, Elton John AIDS Foundation, iMetrikus, Inc., John M. Lloyd Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2003. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2003. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .