Document 2225
 DOCN  M94A2225
 TI    Open the gate to health: an illustrated infantile story about the
       importance of health self-care.
 DT    9412
 AU    Salame E; Cruz R; Castillo E
 SO    Int Conf AIDS. 1994 Aug 7-12;10(1):352 (abstract no. PD0015). Unique
       Identifier : AIDSLINE ICA10/94370350
 AB    INTRODUCTION: In December 1993, there were 17,387 AIDS cases in Mexico.
       From these, 66.1% had 20-39 years old, which implies that most get
       infected during adolescence or nearby. It's important to give tools than
       can help children to take preventive measures to prevent HIV/AIDS
       transmission when they become adolescents and sexually active.
       OBJECTIVE: To create an illustrated infantile book focused on the
       importance of health self-care as the first step in the prevention of
       some transmissible diseases and HIV/AIDS. To introduce the concept of
       preventive measures into the mind of the children in order to create
       self-conscience & prevention of transmissible diseases. METHODS: An
       infantile book was made on October 1993 directed to children from 7 to
       13 yrs. old focused on the conceptualization of health self-care as a
       fundamental issue to prevent some transmissible diseases including
       HIV/AIDS. The book is a 10 chapter story (120 pages including 30 color
       illustrations) that tells how a microbe (not HIV) gets into a girl's
       body--because she didn't take good care of her self--and the battle that
       takes place between the microbe and the immune system, giving emphasis
       in how it works, especially: CD4, CD8, B, NK, & suppress lymphocytes,
       macrophages, antibodies & erythrocytes. We introduce HIV as a character,
       which will appear with more detail on the second part (in preparation).
       The text body has 24 points letters and the initials 40, with color and
       special effects. RESULTS: We submitted the book to a contest on the IV
       National Congress on AIDS (Mexico, Oct, 1993) and obtained a special
       mention. We have made informal evaluations with children. They reported
       that the book is easy to understand, has pretty images and a good story.
       Actually we are making formal evaluations in 2 private and 1
       governmental schools. DISCUSSION: HIV/AIDS prevention can be facilitated
       if there is a health self-care culture since infancy because it can
       encourage the importance of self-control (preventive measures) in the
       transmission of some diseases, such as AIDS. In general, the book has
       good acceptance in an informal way and we are waiting the results from
       the formal evaluation.
 DE    Adolescence  Adult  *Books  Child  Female  *Health Education  Human  HIV
       Infections/*PREVENTION & CONTROL  *Teaching Materials  MEETING ABSTRACT

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).