| BY CHRISTINA MURPHY THE NEWS LEADER | Nov 25, 2005 |
WAYNESBORO -- Safe sex is a controversial topic to take to church. But when you're talking with people dedicated to stopping the spread of AIDS, the conversation will go there.!!!
Alisa Lundeen, who coordinates AIDS/HIV intervention programs for the Valley Community Services Board, believes church is a perfect forum for AIDS prevention. Why? Because churches are close-knit communities made up of individuals who care for one another and who want to keep each other safe. And her message is slowly taking root in area congregations.
"I sincerely believe if God created it, we can talk about it," Lundeen routinely says to church assemblies.
That opens an hour or so of discussion about sex, protection and consequences. Adults and teenagers are encouraged to attend.
On Sunday, Lundeen brought her presentation to Oak Grove Baptist Church in Waynesboro. About 50 people gathered in the basement after services to participate.
The Rev. T.E. Payne of Oak Grove Baptist said alarming statistics about the high numbers of blacks infected with AIDS prompted the church to get involved with prevention about a year ago.
"This church is certainly liable to become caught up in those [statistics] if we don't do something to prevent it," Payne said.
Offer of AIDS tests
The visit to Oak Grove was Lundeen's second. At the first session in September, she offered AIDS testing to all in attendance. The pastor volunteered first to help put people at ease.
At Sunday's session, the discussion focused on how to prevent new infection in young people.
Safe sex, Lundeen said, is a lot of work. Her prevention props include condoms, dental dams, lubricants and boxer shorts -- to help protect against another sexually-transmitted disease, herpes.
"Abstinence starts to look real good after a while, at least until you decide to get married," Lundeen said.
Abstinence is the preferred method of safe sex endorsed by Oak Grove Baptist, Payne said. But he wants the congregation to be informed and able to educate others. It's in that spirit of community networking that Lundeen founded one of her major AIDS prevention programs, Red Band.
Red Band volunteers help plant seeds to build informal information networks by agreeing to serve as resources in their communities.
A little-discussed topic
One of the first volunteers, Cassandra Scott, said she felt compelled to get involved after realizing how little people in the valley talked about AIDS. Scott's church, Beverly Manor Baptist, was the first to invite Lundeen and Red Band to speak on that subject.
"One thing I realized -- I'm from New York -- [is] information isn't out there," Scott said. "In New York, you see it on the subways; you see it everywhere.
"I speak with people anywhere; it can be in the Laundromat," Scott said.
The message resonated with Oak Grove youths.
"I'm all about people being educated," said Renee Hobson, 21. "I think it [Red Band] will work; we just have to reach people so that they can really get it." Hobson is a pre-med student at James Madison University.
"I think the more we talk about it, the more it'll work, because when you talk about it, it spreads," said Devaughn Payne, 16.
Whitney Silver, 15, also reacted positively.
"I think more people should hear it, because it's there," she said of AIDS.
