12 • MODULE EIGHT: PREVENTING AND LIVING WITH HIV
ACTIVITY FOUR
Am I at Risk?
Group Check In
- Gather the children in a circle and tell them that we are going to shake hands. If, while shaking
hands, they feel someone tickling their palm, they must pass this on to the next person and so on.
If no one tickles the palm while shaking the hands, the person should continue shaking hands in the
conventional way. The facilitator or one of the group members who has been told earlier tickles one
palm while shaking hands. Stop the exercise after one minute. - Check how many got tickled. Ask them to stand on one side. Inform them that all those who were
tickled have the virus. Say that only one person started the tickle and let the children count how
many got infected in a minute. - Ask them how they feel, and ask those who did not get tickled how they feel as well. Tell the group
that this was only a game and that shaking hands cannot spread HIV. It merely shows that HIV
spreads very quickly. - Collect the group in a circle and tell them this story:
The Story of Jaya and Ashok (for children above 14 years)
Jaya was 16 years old when her parents decided to get her married. She lived in a small village and
her husband was working in a garage in the nearby city of Mumbai. Her husband Ashok was the first
man she had sex with.
Will Jaya get HIV? - Ask the group what they need to know to answer this question. (The answer should be Ashok’s
sexual history or if he has been sharing needles while using drugs) Why? (To find out whether he has
been exposed to the virus). - The Story of Ashok
Ashok had one girlfriend Sarita before he got married. Once he had fun with his friends drinking
and had unprotected sex with a sex worker. Place a card named Ashok on the wall. Below it in a
different colored card write girlfriend and sex worker and paste it below Ashok’s name.
What are Ashok’s chances of infection? - Ask the group what they need to know to answer this question. (Answer should be the sexual
history of his two partners.) - The Story of Ashok continues:
Sarita had one boyfriend before she became friendly with Ashok. The sex worker has three
clients each day.
Place cards of different colors – one for the boyfriend of Sarita and three other cards for clients
of the sex worker.