Three guest speakers from the Northern Virginia AIDS Ministry (NOVAM) came to McLean last Thursday and Friday to administer a presentation discussing the origins of HIV/AIDS and personal experiences from two people living with the virus. The Youth Speak Face to Face program was available to all juniors and given during their history classes.

“(The program) is a combination of health education and personal stories,” NOVAM representative Erica said. She works at NOVAM and became involved with the program through the US Peacecorp.

Face to Face is the only approved program for classrooms in much of Northern Virginia and reaches almost 10,000 students annually. It is an abstinence based program and focuses on abstinence being the only 100 percent effective method of avoiding infection. Last year, over 50 percent of all new HIV infections in the United States were in people under the age of 25.

The speakers, Mary and David, shared their stories with the classes, focusing on their own feelings and choices, which may have led them to become infected with HIV. After the program, the speakers answered questions about their personal experiences and listened to student’s own feelings about the virus.

“I like the idea that something that could be very negative in my life has turned around and now has become very positive,” speaker Mary said.

Mary has been volunteering at NOVAM since 1993 after she found out about the program through her doctor. David, the other guest speaker, became connected with the NOVAM program through an HIV clinic.

“The response, the questions, especially the thanks yous is very gratifying,” David said. “I love the connection with the kids. This program just fits.”