HIV/AIDS: What Is It?

Young Teen

Digital Resources Teacher Tip:

During the lesson, the information for you to know is written in regular type, and what we suggest speaking or reading aloud to children is in bold. All resources for this lesson, including the Teacher Guide, Student Page, Family Connection Card, and other resources can be downloaded in a ZIP file by clicking on the following link:

In some lessons you will find "resource articles." These are articles written by experts from around the world to help equip you for your work with children and adolescents. Share them with parents or guardians if you consider it appropriate.

Focus on Life Skills

Supplies

Bible
Bag or basket with leaves, pebbles, and small sticks (1 item for each student plus a few extras)

Optional Supplies

Scissors
Pencils
Memory Verse Poster
Student Pages

Before class, cut or tear out the Immune System Cards at the end of the lesson to use during the first part of the lesson.

Teacher Tip: If possible, prepare for class by researching how many people in your community and region are affected by HIV/AIDS. Also, notify families that you will be learning about this topic. If possible, share the information from the Resource Article with them before teaching these lessons.

Teacher Devotion

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Colossians 3:12

As a believer, you are God’s chosen one—holy and dearly loved. No matter how you have sinned, nothing can separate you from Him. Find peace in that knowledge—He loves you completely! As God’s chosen one, you are called to do the same for others. So clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. When you cover yourself with these godly qualities, others will experience God’s love through your life.

Now think of those who have HIV/AIDS or other communicable diseases. How do you respond to them? As though they are precious and loved by the One who created them? Or as though they are outcasts who are undesirable and unworthy of love? If you have responded with insensitivity, ask God for forgiveness. Ask Him to change your heart to become more like His. Clothe yourself with kindness and compassion—and show these qualities to all those around you. Let your life, inside and outside, be a reflection of the One who has chosen you and loves you dearly.

Family Connection

Encourage the students to share what they have learned about HIV/AIDS with their family members. Many people, including adults, do not have accurate information about HIV/AIDS. Accurate information is key to preventing the virus and disease and having compassion for those who have it. So encourage students to share what they learned about HIV and AIDS with their families.

Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.

Lesson Time

1. Connecting:

Do an activity about how the immune system works.

Teacher Tip: Accurate information and education are the keys to preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS, which is why the next 2 lessons are so important! Your students will learn about the virus and the illnesses resulting from HIV infection. They will also learn how to prevent the spread of HIV. Let your students know that you are aware that some of them have personal experience with HIV/AIDS. Some of your teens may be infected or know someone who died from AIDS. Let them know you are available to talk and pray with them after class.

Gather teens together as they arrive. Greet them by name and tell them you are happy to see them!

Today we will learn about HIV and AIDS. Let’s start by seeing what the Bible says about our bodies.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Psalm 139:13–14

God designed all the parts of our bodies to work together. One of the important systems in your body is the immune system. The immune system helps fight off germs and sickness in your body. It helps you heal when you are sick or injured.

White blood cells are an important part of your immune system. When you have an infection, the white blood cells move to where the infection is and destroy it. For example, when you have a sore throat and your nose is congested, white blood cells rush to your throat and nose, surround the cold germs, and destroy them. White blood cells are made inside your bones. Everyone feel your hip bone. Demonstrate by putting your hand on the bone of at the top of your hip. Inside of that bone, your body is making white blood cells.

White blood cells are not the only part of your body that works hard to keep you healthy. Your immune system includes many other parts. Let’s learn about some of them now.

Divide the teens into 4 groups. Give each group an Immune System Card you cut or tore out from the end of the lesson. Explain that each card has information about 1 part of the immune system. Each group will teach that information to the class. They will have 7 minutes to read their cards, plan how they will creatively present the information to the class, and practice their presentations. Groups might create simple skits, motions, or songs to present their information. Every student must be involved in his group’s presentation. Tell the students their presentations should be no longer than 1–2 minutes.

After time is up, have each group present its information to the class. If any important information is missed, read it to the students after all 4 presentations are finished.

The information on the cards is printed here for your reference:

SKIN: Your first line of defence is your skin. In the same way that you cover food to protect it, your skin acts as a cover to protect the body from germs and infections.
MUCUS: Mucus might be unpleasant, but it is an important part of your immune system. You have mucus in your nose, throat, lungs, and intestines. The mucus traps bacteria, viruses, and dust to keep them out. That is why you sneeze when dust gets into your nose.
TEARS and SALIVA: Tears do more than keep your eyes moist or express emotion. They are the part of your immune system that washes things from your eyes that could hurt you or cause you to be ill. The saliva in your mouth has special chemicals in it that help to break down bacteria and viruses.
LYMPH SYSTEM: Lymph is a clear fluid in your blood that carries white blood cells to where they are needed. Some bacteria or viruses that have invaded your body might be carried back to the lymph nodes around your body. In the nodes, the germs are killed. When your body is fighting off illness, your lymph nodes may swell up. Some easy-to-find lymph nodes are at the sides of your throat.

2. Teaching:

Learn and discuss facts about HIV/AIDS (Psalm 22:24; Psalm 139:13–14).

Based on what you have learned so far today, why is it important for your immune system to work well?

Your immune system helps prevent you from becoming sick. If you are already sick, it helps you get better.

I will read some ways to tell if your immune system is working. Think about which ones you have experienced.

You start to feel better after you have been sick.
You develop a fever when you are sick.
When you are sick, your lymph glands become swollen.
A cut heals without getting infected.
You have swelling and soreness around injuries.

God truly made our bodies amazing! Let’s read again the verses in Psalm 139 about how He made each of us:

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Psalm 139:13–14

Sometimes infections damage the immune system and prevent it from working correctly. One virus that can do this is HIV. HIV is Human Immune-Deficiency Virus. HIV is the virus that causes the disease AIDS. AIDS is Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and is the final stage of HIV. When someone has AIDS, the immune system has been damaged so much that the body is extremely vulnerable to other infections.

HIV destroys a part of the immune system and makes it unable to fight off even minor illnesses such as colds or the flu. When a person is infected with HIV, it may take years for that person to develop AIDS. When an HIV-infected person has a very low number of T cells—special cells in your immune system—he can no longer fight infections. He begins to get very sick. At this point, that person has AIDS.

Teacher Tip: Sharing accurate information about how HIV is spread is important! This includes discussing how it can be passed through unprotected sexual contact. Be sure to share this important information with your class, but share it in a way that is acceptable to your community. If possible, you may want to separate the boys and girls for this part of the lesson so there is less discomfort about this sensitive topic. If you do this, have a man teach the boys and a woman teach the girls.

Now let’s see what you think about HIV/AIDS. I will read some statements. If you think it is true, stand up. If you think it is false, remain seated.

Teacher Tip: This quiz will help you to learn what the students think. You will correct any incorrect ideas in this lesson. Answers are provided for you in the parentheses following each statement.

You may become infected with HIV by having sexual intercourse. (True—you can get HIV from having unprotected sexual intercourse with someone who is infected.)
You can become infected with HIV from kissing. (False—HIV is not passed through saliva.)
Using dirty needles to inject drugs can give you HIV. (True)
You can get HIV from using a toilet. (False)
If you are young and healthy, you will not become infected with HIV. (False—anyone of any age who is exposed to the virus may become infected.)
Married people cannot get infected with HIV. (False—if a married person has HIV, that person can infect his or her spouse.)

As you can see, there is a lot for us to learn about HIV and AIDS. Now we will learn more about our immune system and HIV/AIDS. Listen carefully because you will explain the information to someone else in your own words.

Ask the students to pair up, girls with girls and boys with boys. Give them about a minute to share the information with each other in their own words after each discussion point.

Optional: If you are using the Student Pages, have the students record what they learn about HIV/AIDS on their pages.

How does a person become infected with HIV?

HIV is passed through body fluids. The virus must enter the bloodstream of the person to cause infection. It cannot be passed through the saliva or skin unless there is an open wound where it can enter the blood. It cannot be passed through the air. Common ways to become infected with HIV are being born to an HIV-infected mother, injecting drugs, having unprotected sexual contact with an infected person, and receiving an infected blood transfusion.

Teacher Tip: Help the students to understand that HIV is not a curse from God or a punishment for poor choices. HIV infection is often caused by situations that are not the fault of the person who has been infected. For example, people who are born to HIV-infected mothers, who are victims of forced sexual activity, or who receive infected blood in a transfusion did nothing to cause their infection.

Have the students share briefly with their partners.

What are the symptoms of HIV?

A person who is infected with HIV might have swollen lymph nodes. He may lose weight and develop high fevers, mouth infections, and diarrhoea. He may feel tired all the time. Eventually, the virus infects all the body’s organs, including the brain. This makes it hard for the person to think and remember things.
Have the students share briefly with their partners.

What happens when a person develops AIDS?

A person with AIDS often develops other life-threatening diseases because the immune system is so weak. For example, she might get pneumonia. She might develop infections in major organs. She may get cancer.
Have the students share briefly with their partners.

Is HIV preventable?

Sometimes it can be prevented. But some people have HIV and did nothing to cause it, such as a child born to an HIV-infected mother. You cannot become infected with HIV in the same ways you can become infected with a cold. A person cannot get HIV by hugging, holding hands, or spending time with someone who has HIV.
Have the students share briefly with their partners.

About 36 million people in the world are living with HIV or AIDS. The symptoms can be treated, but right now there is no cure for HIV or AIDS. New medicines can help a person with HIV to live for many years without getting AIDS. Sadly, these medications are not available to everyone in the world. Scientists are also working to develop vaccines that may help to prevent HIV infections in the future.

It important for everyone to know how to prevent AIDS by knowing the facts and avoiding the behaviours that lead to HIV infection. We will talk more next time about preventing HIV/AIDS.

Teacher Tip: Share the following information if these beliefs are common in your area. In some countries, people believe they can be cured of AIDS by having sex with a virgin, a girl who has never had sex. This is not true. Unprotected sex does not cure AIDS. In fact, it often leads to the girl becoming infected, too. Some cultures believe all diseases, including HIV/AIDS, are curses caused by witchcraft or the vengeance of angry ancestors. These people may believe that sex with young girls will protect them. This is not true either.

Memory Verse

Sometimes when we hear about those with HIV or AIDS, we may feel like God does not care for them, especially if their choices allowed them to become infected. However, God cares for each person, even if they made wrong choices. Listen to what the Bible tells us about God’s love for
all people.

If you are using the Memory Verse Poster, show it to the students.

For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.
Psalm 22:24

God does not hate those who are afflicted with HIV or AIDS. Whether the person made choices that allowed her to get the infection or she got it through no fault of her own, God still cares for her. And God hears her if she cries out to Him.

Teacher Tip: Students may have questions. When you speak with a teen, empathize with any pain or fear he is experiencing. It is okay to tell him you are sorry that he has been hurt. Your tears, prayers, and comfort can help him to heal emotionally.

3. Responding

Do an activity about how HIV/AIDS spreads and pray for those with HIV/AIDS.

Pass around the bag or basket of pebbles, sticks, and leaves and tell each student to pick 1 item. Once everyone has an item, ask a volunteer to choose another item and give it to you. Show the item you were given. Tell those who have this same type of item to stand up. For example, if you were handed a pebble, all students with pebbles would stand up.

Everyone who is standing has HIV/AIDS. You may have been infected by something you did, such as having sexual relations with an infected person. Or you may have been infected through no fault of your own, such as being born to an infected mother. Please remain standing.

Choose another student who is not standing to show her item. Tell all those who have the same item to stand.

Everyone who just stood up was infected with HIV/AIDS by someone who was already standing. Again, you may have been infected because of something you did or through no fault of your own. Please remain standing.

Everyone who is sitting is healthy. You do not have HIV/AIDS.

Teacher Tip: Be sure to emphasize that not everyone who has HIV/AIDS was infected because of his own choices. Some were infected by others. But no matter how people are infected with HIV/AIDS, God loves and cares for them.

For those who are standing, how do you feel about having HIV/AIDS?
For those who are sitting, how do you feel about those who are standing?
For those who are standing, how do you think your life will change now that you have
HIV/AIDS?

For those who are sitting, how will you treat those who are standing?

Teacher Tip: This activity allows the children to process their feelings and express any changes they have in their perspective of HIV/AIDS.

Ask everyone to sit down.

Some of you may know someone who has HIV or AIDS. Some of you might have it. God cares for those who have this terrible illness. He has called us to help and care for one another.

What are some practical things you can do to help those with HIV/AIDS?

Allow students to share their ideas. If it is helpful, share some ideas to get them started: collect food or clothing for those with HIV/AIDS who are in need, invite them to come to church, offer to help them, and treat them in friendly and respectful ways.

Another way you can show compassion for those with HIV or AIDS is by praying for them. Listen to what the Bible tells us about praying for the sick.

Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.
James 5:13–14

What are some specific things you can pray for the sick?

Allow students to share their ideas. If it is helpful, share some ideas to get them started: pray that God would help them to be as healthy as possible, that doctors would find a cure one day, or that those who have HIV or AIDS will have good friendships so they will have support.

When we pray for people who have HIV or AIDS, the most important thing we can pray for is that they will receive God’s love for them.

Divide the students into groups of 3–5 to pray for people with HIV/AIDS. Remind them to be sensitive to anyone who knows someone with HIV or who has it.

When the groups are finished praying, close with a blessing based on James 5:13–14:

Blessing: May God fill you with His compassion for those who are suffering and fill you with praise for those who are cheerful. May you pray for those who are sick, especially those who are suffering with HIV/AIDS. May you show God’s love and compassion to those who are affected by this virus and disease.

Lead the children in singing this quarter’s song, if possible.

“My Lighthouse” by Rend Collective: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HA8VtUPgqTc