November 2005

HIV Education at Episcopal Youth Event 2005

Elizabethe Payne, Ph.D., NEAC Education Director

God of mercy and Creator of all, we pray for the young people who are and who will be infected with HIV, for all those who put themselves at risk, and for all those living with HIV and AIDS, their loved ones, and all caregivers and researchers, that from suffering, rejection and loss may come strength, compassion, and faith; and that we may be healed of fear and moved to give support to those in need, in the name of Jesus, the healer and friend of all. Amen.

– from Youth Ministry in the Age of AIDS, 2004

During the last week of July, 1500 Episcopal youth gathered for a week in Berea, Kentucky, for EYE 2005, in a celebration to inspire a deepening of their faith in Jesus Christ and a renewed commitment to mission.

As a resource person for the event, I conducted three HIV education workshops and one public forum on sexuality. I also took questions on sexuality and HIV, written on index cards and placed in a box, and posted the answers in public view. All three of my workshops filled beyond capacity, and young people had to be turned away. The Sexuality Forum was held in an auditorium, and also quickly filled beyond capacity—the doors had to be locked, and again young people were turned away. Episcopal youth very much need and want accurate information about sex and sexually transmitted disease, and they want to know how to make decisions in light of their Christian faith.

With funding for comprehensive sex education no longer available, most school districts are providing either abstinence-only approaches to sex education, which deny youth access to important information about their bodies and provide no information about contraception or disease prevention, or no sex education at all. Because this leads young people to rely on other youth for information about sex, birth control, and disease prevention, inaccurate myths become “truths” by which young people are making life-altering decisions regarding sexual relationships.

In the United States… It is estimated that of the 40,000 new cases of HIV infection each year, 50% are among young people under the age of 25, and 25% are under the age of 22.

Many of the questions I received during my week at EYE not only dealt with pregnancy but also indicated a true lack of awareness as to how conception occurs. I was asked on four separate occasions if it was possible to get pregnant from oral sex. I was asked more than 12 times (I stopped counting after 12) if a girl could get pregnant if she was on her period. I was asked twice if it was true that if a girl douched with Coke after sex, that would prevent pregnancy—I hadn’t heard that question in years!

Another hot topic on the minds of young people was STDs (STIs) and HIV. I was asked repeatedly (too many times to count) if it was possible to get an STD from oral sex. I was asked four times how long it takes to “know” you have an STD. I was asked if you can get an STD if you only had sex once. I was asked where to get “the STD test,” and how accurate testing is.

All these questions not only indicate the amount of ignorance and fear about conception and disease transmission, but also that unprotected sex IS taking place!

A number of questions I was asked at EYE also dealt with virginity. In our culture, there is renewed interest in virginity, with some young people being encouraged in their faith communities to take virginity pledges. Virginity is often understood in these contexts as abstaining from heterosexual sexual intercourse; other types of sexual relations are not discussed. Some young people today are engaging in oral and anal sex but believe that, because they are technically “virgins,” they are not at risk for sexually transmitted diseases. Therefore they do not protect themselves. There was a lot of confusion among the youth about what virginity is and how to define it; the questions ranged from asking if one was still a virgin after masturbating to asking if engaging in any sexual act that “couldn’t get you pregnant” meant you were still a virgin.

These questions demonstrate not only confusion over sexual information, but also the desire of the questioners to take a moral stand in terms of their own sexuality.

These young people wanted to know how to make decisions about their sexuality in light of their Christian faith. They wanted to know what age was the “right” age to have sex, and how one “knew” when she or he was ready to have sex; what to do if one is “in love”; and what the Church thinks about people who have engaged in premarital sex.

Young people in our church today not only need but want to be educated about HIV and sexuality. They want to be engaged in discussions of faith and moral decision making. As they are in the process of developing their identities and relationships with the world, they want to understand what their faith has to do with their newfound ability to express themselves sexually.

HIV is a hidden disease. Young people do not “see” people who are infected and the risks are not obvious to them. A young person infected as a teenager may not show symptoms until years later. Young people do not automatically understand how to apply their faith beliefs to their sexual behavior. They do not know how to respect their own dignity and that of others in sexual situations. They do not “get” what it means to “love neighbor as self.” We must empower our youth with accurate information, and engage them in these discussions.

There is a FREE resource available to help youth leaders and interested adults. A single copy of Youth Ministry in the Age of AIDS (2004) can be ordered by writing Gary Williams at or by calling Youth Ministries at 800.334.7626 extension 6257.

This educational resource was produced by The Ministries with Young People Cluster of the Episcopal Church Center and Coordinated by Elizabethe C. Payne, Ph.D. Education Director for The National Episcopal AIDS Coalition. Its production was funded through a generous grant from United Thank Offering.