HIV/AIDS Peer Educator Course

This course has been developed to enable staff members or trainers who are interested in HIV/AIDS to spearhead the growth of awareness within their respective organisations. Peer educators are trained not only to be compassionate in their implementation of HIV/AIDS projects, but also effective in terms of skills and methodologies. They will also be encouraged to create safe and trustworthy contexts within which people infected or affected by HIV can find help and direction. Peer educators will be trained in interactive methodologies and taught to manage colleagues in a sensitive, professional and appropriate manner. Workbooks are provided and contain questionnaires, simulations, problem solving sessions and group activities that ensure maximum participation throughout the course. The course covers the skills and knowledge needed to be an effective peer educator.

Upon completing this course, participants should be able to:

• Identify and solve problems by discussing the consequences of people living with HIV/AIDS in relation to infected and affected people, within the family, community and society.
• Demonstrate an understanding of sexuality and sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) including HIV and AIDS.
• Understand the nature and transmission of HIV/AIDS
• Be able to communicate effectively by using verbal and non-verbal communication methods
• Demonstrate the understanding of the effect of the HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections on society
• Be able to contribute to full personal development by understanding the need for, and the means to engage in safe sex.

• Framework for participation
• Your experience of HIV/AIDS
• Balancing Self, Team and Society
• Assessing existing knowledge
• Attitudes and behaviour in the workplace
• A brief history of HIV/AIDS
• What is HIV/AIDS
• Different stages of HIV
• Knowledge is power
• Prevention
• The gender dimension
• Voluntary counselling and testing
• Counselling techniques
• Testing for HIV/AIDS
• Responses to HIV/AIDS infection
• Anti-retroviral therapy
• Stigma
• Rights
• Workplace policy
• HIV Programmes

Module 1: The HIV/AIDS Pandemic

• The meaning of awareness
• Sexuality
• Knowledge questionnaire
• Identifying the personal, family, community and workplace impacts of the HIV pandemic
• What is HIV/AIDS?
• History of the HIV/AIDS pandemic
• Transmission of HIV

Module 2: How one becomes infected with HIV

• Risk identification questionnaire
• Unsafe practices
• How not to get AIDS
• HIV myths
• Stages in the development of HIV/AIDS
• HIV- gender, culture and attitudes
• Stigma and its consequences

Module 3: Living positively with HIV

• Knowledge is power
• Treatment and lifestyle options
• Anti-retrovirals and how they work
• Access and distribution of ARV’s
• Getting to know your local provincial hospitals and procedures for accessing ARVs
• The effects of ARVs on a person
• Accommodating people on ARVs within the workplace
• TB and STI’s
• HIV and diet

Module 4:  The role of the Peer educator

• Facilitation skills
• Understanding codes and the use of codes in training events
• Planning and preparing educational events
• Guiding problem solving sessions
• Training programme evaluation
• Training and counselling

Module 5:  Counselling, Testing and Treatment

• Counselling people with HIV/AIDS
• Counselling techniques
• Counselling family members and children
• Referring HIV infected individuals for further counselling services
• Managing HIV/AIDS as a normal chronic disease

Module 6: Managing HIV/AIDS issues in the workplace

• Rights of individuals living with AIDS
• Rights of employers
• Privacy and confidentiality
• Discrimination in the workplace
• Accommodating sick employees and company medical incapacity policy

Appendices:
Statistics – HIV/AIDS World
Statistics – HIV/AIDS South Africa