SCORAlicious March 2012

s u o i c i l A OR ion

SC ects Edit j o r P

IFMSA

was founded in May 1951 and is run by medical students, for medical students, on a non-profit basis. IFMSA is officially recognised as a nongovernmental organisation within the United Nations’ system and has official relations with the World Health Organisation. It is the international forum for medical students, and one of the largest student organisations in the world.

Imprint Editor in Chief Erick Melendez, El Salvador Editors Michalina Drejza, Poland Anna Szczegielniak, Poland Lucia D’Atri, Argentina Laura Figueiredo, Brazil Design/Layout Erick Melendez, El Salvador Laura Figueiredo, Brazil

The mission of IFMSA

Proofreading Michalina Drejza, Poland Anna Szczegielniak, Poland Lucia D’Atri, Argentina Laura Figueiredo, Brazil

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is to offer future physicians a comprehensive introduction to global health issues. Through our programs and opportunities, we develop culturally sensitive students of medicine, intent on influencing the transnational inequalities that shape the health of our planet.

Publisher

International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations General Secretariat: IFMSA c/o WMA B.P. 63 01212 Ferney-Voltaire, France Phone: +33 450 404 759 Fax: +33 450 405 937 Email: gs@ifmsa.org Homepage: www.ifmsa.org

Contacts

publications@ifmsa.org

Introduction Dear SCORAngels and IFMSA friends, It is with great excitement that I am presenting you the March 2012 edition of our beloved SCORA Magazine – «SCORAlicious»!

For this issue of «SCORAlicious» we decided to dedicate it to numerous projects that you, SCORAngels are doing in your countries. We decided to give you the opportunity to present you work to your fellow colleagues all over the world. In the Magazine, you will find 12 different projects presented to you in a very clear and reviewable way with the project’s goals, objectives, target groups, logistics, finances and obstacles. We wanted to make it as clear and sexy as possible to you so that you can get inspired by their work and maybe start the similar projects in your countries!

Of course, this issue of «SCORAlicious» wouldn’t be brought to you if there wasn’t for the amazing Editorial Team who have worked very hard past months sending calls, gathering, proofreading your articles and making the final design. Under the eye of the «Publications Master» and the Editor in Chief Erick Melendez (IFMSA El Salvador) were Michalina Drejza and Anna Szczegielniak (IFMSA Poland), Lucia D’Atri (IFMSA Argentina) and Laura Figueiredo (IFMSA Brazil).

Also, not to be forget is that this year SCORA is celebrating its 20th birthday !

In 1992 a newest addition to the IFMSA family was added and 20 years later we’re here to celebrate its achievements through the retrospective article where we sat down with 7 previous SCORA Directors as they described their SCORAlicious experience.

Big thank you to all the authors of the articles! You contributed in making the «SCORAlicious» once again a true success! Sit back, relax, take a break from studying for your exams and enjoy «SCORAlicious»!

Cheers!

Josko Mise Director on Reproductive Health including AIDS 2011-2012

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CONTENTS

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SCORA Through Time

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Streetcar Called Desire

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WAD Celebration in Ethiopia

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The Human is not the Virus: WAD Campaign

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International Day on the Elimination of the Violence Against Woman

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FMG Awareness Project

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Adolescer (Adolescense)

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S.U.L.L.E. - Projeckti

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Life +

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Daphne

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Men’s Issues

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SexEd

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IlluminAIDS

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SCORA Through Time 1992 was a sexy year. Madonna’s album Erotica topped the charts and Sharon Stone made filmgoers everywhere sweat and shift in their seats as they watched Basic Instinct. The world was changing; the Grunge look was (oddly) in whilst 80s’ Mohawks were slowly disappearing, and somewhere in the midst of all this, a star was born- and I’m not just talking about Miley Cyrus. Somewhere, in a crowded room, IFMSA members were all participating in the birth of the newest addition to their family; SCOAS- the Standing Committee on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases. The stars were well aligned when IFMSA’s sexiest standing committee was born, and everyone proudly saw it grow up and reach its full potential, and 20 years later, we are all here to celebrate its birthday.

So sit back, relax, and let us take you on a journey depicting the life and times of SCORA through the experiences of its past directors and present members.

The IFMSA experience made us better health professionals, more responsible persons and helped us gain friends for life.

– Silvia Koso (1998-2000).

The 1990s They were awkward for us all. Those of you whose teen years took place during that glorious era remember the nickname craze that took the world by storm when the internet hit the mainstream- and not to be outdone by all the DarkAngel87s and CutyGirl92s out there, the Standing Committee on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases, then known as SCOAS, took on a new name in 1998 and became the SCORA we know today. In fact, SCOAS was formed in 1992 as a reaction to the increasing number of people living with AIDS worldwide. Fueled by their strong will to participate in programs for the prevention of HIV and STIs, medical students from IFMSA created a standing committee whose purpose would be the reduction and perhaps even the elimination of such cases in the world. As it grew, SCOAS’ advocacy and awareness campaigns developed to encompass a wider range of reproductive health issues which ultimately led to the famous name change in 1998. As former SCORA

Director Silvia Koso puts it, the change was a result of the cooperation with UNFPA and WHO (whose experts were also in favor of said change) as well as the understanding that HIV/AIDS prevention is part of broader framework which also includes the prevention of unwanted pregnancies, gender based violence, etc.

Thus, the Standing Committee on Reproductive Health including AIDS was born- and it had a catchier name this time around- a name hundreds of medical students would come to chant as time passed by and as SCORA expanded. We sat down with former SCORA-D Silvia Koso (by sat down with we mean communicated with via email of course) and asked her a few questions about her time as the godmother of SCORA during the 1998-2000 period. She tells us that at the time, SCORA was –and still is- a fun group, and innovative tools such as Peer Education were strongly promoted and helped increase the SCORA family worldwide. SCORA members were that cool progressive friend you get to know and eventually hang out with because they’re just that interesting- even conservative countries joined in. However, as Silvia describes, the freedom to discuss certain sexual topics easily and openly was taken for granted at times, and some of these conservative countries would not be able to participate in all discussions- but that would be resolved later on.

Keep the spirit up! And even though we don’t succeed in all the things we would like to within SCORA as medical students the work will help you later on in life as a doctor for sure.

– Nora Matthaeas (2004-2005).

One of Silvia’s main goals was to increase the participation of female members from countries that traditionally had an underrepresentation of women, which as we can see today, has worked. All in all, although SCORA and IFMSA faced external difficulties mainly with funding, the 1998 SCORA was already making the world a better place- even their motto, May the Condom be with You- was spicing up the realm of Star Wars references, which is great in

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many ways (especially for the typical Star Wars fan).

The 2000s One word: Y2K. It’s actually not a even a word but a numeronym (says Google) yet the Millennium Bug made everyone panic at the end of the century and spawned countless book deals for those authors who honestly just had nothing better to occupy themselves with. We also asked 5 of our former Directors to become writers for a few hours as they answered our questions except this time, their writing had an honorable purpose: to shed some light on the continuing childhood of our dear SCORA. We start in 2004-2005, with former SCORA-D Nora Matthaeas. She tells us that at the time, many new countries were joining the SCORA family, and more experienced countries were helping them adapt and introducing them to our way of life. Her fondest memories all happened during the many General Assemblies she attended; meeting members of the international SCORA team, working together, sharing the enthusiasm and getting to know and assign faces to the people she had only known through emails- and of course, the SCORA group hug which is something we have all shared (and hopefully will continue to share) with each other.

SCORA and IFMSA will change your life, in fact by reading those words, and going through this magazine, I’m sure something has changed in you somehow already.

Please enjoy every moment you’re spending in SCORA; embrace the experience and be open to new challenges.

– Ahmed Khamis (2005-2006).

Moving on to 2005-2006, when Ahmed Khamis was the first male director from the Arab World. Stigma around HIV and issues of sexuality was much higher (especially in Arab conservative countries) than present times, yet because SCORA and Ahmed were involved with other international associations such as the UN and other NGOs, there was nothing but support from all around when it was time for him to become SCORA-D. The SCORA team encouraged inactive committees to become more involved in their countries and on an international level;

I hope you will find your inspiration in SCORA, that you fill find an additional drive and that you will strive to be better. I feel I am and will be a SCORAngel for the rest of my life.

– Silva Rukavina (2006-2007). he saw many members become National Officers and receive training from the other NORAs so that they can take that knowledge and apply it to their local committees and someday, other newcomers.

During the 2006-2007 term, former director Silva Rukavina shares with us SCORA’s amazing progress and describes what they accomplished. SCORA had wonderful external new partners and guests, mindblowing new projects and initiatives, awesome reach of beneficiaries and positive group spirit.

Keep being great and enjoying your work, you are making the change and inspiring people so keep it up!

–Imene Ben Ameur (2008-2009).

They started new transnational projects, affirmed IPET, managed to coordinate the celebration of the International Candlelight Memorial for the first time, coordinated International Women’s Day with SCORP and increased the reporting on World AIDS Day 2005 Activities by 189% (in total obtaining 53 NMO reports out of 75 who had implemented SCORA activities in their local committees) - and on top of that they built some really important partnerships that are helping medical students in their SCORA work to this day.

All in all, SCORA was growing and becoming more and more effective as it developed. Samer Abi Chaker, the Director in 2007-2008 is proud to see that the new generations are taking on what has been done before and work on optimizing it with the same spirit and with the same line of previous directors.

SCORA members in August Meeting 2004, Macedonia.

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Provided the world does not come to an end next year, we hope all members everywhere can share this birthday and keep the SCORA tradition alive.

From the beginning, SCORA has believed that one of the important methods of fighting AIDS is through prevention, and the only way to achieve prevention is through education.

SCORA members from Mexico

In 2008-2009, former director Imene Ben Ameur tells us that more local committees were being formed around the world, and during her term, Bolivia, the Philippines, Bahrain and Pakistan all joined the SCORA team and are still growing members to this day.

Our last former director of the first decade of the 2000s, Branislav Chrenka (or Brano as we have all come to know him) gives very practical advice which deserves to be quoted. “Remember that most of the conflicts stem from misunderstandings! So learn to communicate feelings and problems in a constructive way, do not expect automatically fault others; ask, check and re-check if all the members of the team and even outside the team understood correctly what you said and meant! Let them repeat it to you in their own words.”

It was just incredible how we all felt after each training and after each committee meeting, the feeling of being part of something much bigger than we are is just unbeatable... this feeling is my fondest memory. – Samer Abi Chaker (2007-2008).

We in SCORA are an international family, but like all families we have some altercations; so, when your fellow member gives you a hard time, take a breath and remind yourself just how much you love them and the work SCORA does, because as Brano tells us, SCORA will always have its hands full even if more breakthroughs happen in the field of HIV/AIDS research. In fact, we have to deal with issues such as stigma against LGBTQ minorities, rape, human trafficking, etc. Yet we can never rest in picturing a better world and trying to achieve these goals which will not get easier as time goes by. But much like Buzz LightYear of Star Command, we will continue with our work To Infinity, and Beyond!

Today SCORA celebrates its 20th brthday in 2012.

Do not blame each other for mistakes; learn from them, accept them, admit them and try not to repeat them. Be modest and humble.

Avoid superficiality. Expand your creativity and leave your fears behind. Finally, learn to let go when the time comes.

– Branislav Chrenka (2009-2010).

Therefore, the main focus of this committee has always been activities that emphasize already existing solutions and creating new educational programs for medical students, as well as for the general population.

SCORA focuses its efforts on teenagers since they are the main risk group, but its activities reach people of all ages.

Other campaigns are directed towards the promotion of healthy sexual and reproductive behavior, prevention of HIV and STIs, as well as the appropriate use of contraceptives. It defends reproductive rights, women’s rights and gender equality, maternal health and stands against domestic violence, female genital mutilation and discrimination against LGBTQI minorities. SCORA has come a long way since its formation in 1992, and 20 years later, its various workshops and campaigns mirror its evolution and help spread its philosophy around the world. We have all, as SCORA members, taken part of at least one of these activities and we have seen ourselves grow and become what we are today. So Happy Birthday dear SCORA, from all of us here at SCORALICIOUS and from every member who has been with you since 1992 and even before then, and from all future members who we know will take care of you and take you to even greater heights.

Sara Abboud, Josko Mise

It is the wildest SCORA energy and spirit that drives SCORA. And it is you, dear SCORAngels, who spread it so a huge thank you from my side for giving me your trust and making me so proud of you. I hope I make you proud as well. – Josko Mise (2010-2012).

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Streetcar Called Desire NMO: IFMSA-Poland Project Coordinator: Anna Rebeka Szczegielniak Contact Information: nora@ifmsa.pl SUMMARY

Students from IFMSA-Poland in Warsaw, Krakow, Poznan, Wroclaw and Lublin have continuously worked on HIV/AIDS prevention projects since 1996.

Our dream was to make a one-year HIV/AIDS campaign dedicated to teenagers and young adults. We wanted to create events they will find interesting and worthy joining and encourage them to change their way of thinking, behavior and make them undergo HIV testing. We came up with idea of creating “Night HIV/AIDS-free Tram”, as streetcars are the most popular mean of transportation in our cities.

We plan to arrange educational stands in trams and clubs. We expect that the “teaching through fun” method will be an interesting way of raising awareness among young adults, the main risk group for HIV infection.

The events are held in five polish cities in academic year 2011/2012 for special occasions like World AIDS Day in Warsaw or St. Valentine’s Day in Poznan and Wroclaw. We want to summarize the campaign during the Closing Ceremony, where all local committees and organizations we work with could discuss about the project’s evaluation and its social impact.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

• To raise knowledge about ways of HIV transmission, prevention and ways of treatment • To inform people about different contraceptive methods and benefits of safe sex • To provide medical information and encourage people to take the HIV-test

TARGET GROUP

young people (pupils, students and young adults) who are going to take part in many events.

LOGISTIC AND FINANCES

Our main partner for this project is MTV Staying Alive Foundation, which partially finances all events. We realized that we can easily manage the organizational and educational aspect. We have huge resources of people who have been educators on HIV/AIDS, STI’s etc. for many years. Their knowledge and skills are still being developed at workshops in collaboration with our partners. Moreover we have experience in organizing social actions addressed to many people with well-done promotion, high level of given information and huge social impact that joins lots of recommendations.

OUTCOMES

It is the continuation of a project. We organized the same events in 2010 in Lodz and Warsaw and it came out that organizing educational parties in streetcars is a really great idea of promoting HIV/AIDS prevention. We expect to have the same outcome in this academic year’s edition.

OBSTACLES

The only obstacle that prevented us from carrying out such a campaign was financial issues, because we find fundraising to be a very difficult task.

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wad celebration NMO: IFMSA-Ethiopia Project Coordinator: Yemi Getachew Contact Information: yemirocks@gmail.com SUMMARY

World AIDS Day celebration was one of the most important dates on our annual agenda. The project was drafted and proposals were sent out a month before December 1.

We included our expectations, target group and financial constraints on the proposal; then we set out on finding potential sponsors. After only three days we were able to find secure funding, which was such a relief.

The WAD celebration included: going to 3 different high schools and teaching students about HIV/AIDS and drugs, preparing a traditional coffee ceremony where students will discuss on Reproductive health issues and Substance abuse, football competition where the different teams will wear white and black SCORA t-shirts (winning team to be rewarded) and last but not least to establish a VCT (Voluntary counseling and testing) in the campus in collaboration with its nurse. I am very proud and happy to announce that we have been able to do all this successfully in the past World AIDS Day!

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Our Goal was to create awareness for those who lack infromation and to remind the already informed that HIV/AIDS is not over . Also, to give something back to the community, addressing the issue of HIV/AIDS in association with substance abuse. Another objective was to promote the role of medical students in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

TARGET GROUP

Highschool students and university students.

LOGISTIC AND FINANCES

Sponsors and supporters to this project were ESOG (Ethiopian Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists), manpower was from the SCORA-AA (Addis Ababa)- (branch of the SCORA-Ethiopia) and EMSA-AA (Ethiopian Medical Students Association- Addis Ababa branch)

OUTCOMES

• We were able to teach more than 250 highschool students about HIV/AIDS and drug abuse • We were able to make a comfortable and open discussion about relationships and reproductive health issues in campus • We were able to help around 400 medical students know their serological status

OBSTACLES

Cooperation from the different highschools in arranging and setting a proper time for the discussions to occur.

Since such kind of a big celebration was a new thing for us, we were a bit disorganized when the date arrived.

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The Human Is not the Virus: World AIDS Day Campaign NMO: LeMSIC Project Coordinator: Fadi Halabi Contact Information: fadi.halabi9@gmail.com SUMMARY

The Human Is not the Virus: a new definition for the letters HIV and a term that was started by the members of LeMSICSCORA during their World AIDS Day Campaign 2011. With red shirts that featured the above slogan, 50 LeMSICSCORA members took the streets of Beirut by storm for around 3 weeks distributing condoms, free hugs, awareness material, and giving many mini peer-education sessions in the streets of Beirut. 4 Interviews on Nation Wide television and 3 awareness ads on TV and Radio were featured during this year’s campaign. The 3 weeks ended on Decemer 19th with a concert by one of the most famous Lebanese Rock Bands, Meen, the proceeds of which are to be used to buy CD4 Counts for HIV patients in need.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

• Fundraising for LeMSIC-SCORA’s HIV/AIDS fund which is active at the two biggest medical centers in Lebanon and which is used to pay for the CD4 Counts of the Lebanese HIV patients in financial need.

• Spreading awareness about HIV in a country like Lebanon were it is still a taboo to openly discuss matters of sexual health.

• Reducing discrimination against HIV patients through appearing on several interviews that were broadcasted nationwide and educating about discrimination. This was also done through our Free Hugs campaign.

TARGET GROUP: Lebanese Youth LOGISTIC AND FINANCES

For the concert, we targeted many sponsors to cover the expenses of our events. We were successful in obtaining enough sponsorship from various small and big fairs in Lebanon to cover all the concert expenses.

As for the materials, we distributed the following items in the streets of Beirut over the span of 3 weeks: condoms provided by the National AIDS Control Program (NAP), awareness pamphlets about safe sex prepared by LeMSIC-SCORA, calenders and information about Voluntary Testing Centers provided by the NAP, as well as pamphlets on discrimination

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prepared by the NAP. We also printed T-shirts with the slogan: The Human Is not the Virus that we wore and sold during our campaign. Posters and flyers were hung all over the streets of Beirut to promote the concert and 3 ads were prepared and broadcasted on national TVs and Radios to raise awareness on HIV/AIDS.

OUTCOMES

Fundraising: We were able to make around 15,000 USD which is enough for us to cover around 200 CD4 Counts this year, knowing that in Lebanon we had 120 new HIV infections in 2011. We are making use of this big amount of money by inviting more Lebanese NGOs and Medical Centers to use our fund so that we are able to benefit the biggest number of HIV patients in Lebanon.

Awareness: 10,000 “Safe Sex” awareness flyers, 800 Condoms, and 100s of pamphlets for VTCs were distributed during the campaign. Also, our TV awareness ad aired for 10 days starting December 1.

Anti-Discrimination: Our slogan: “The Human Is not the Virus” was spread all over our campuses and all over facebook.

The day right after our concert, a professor at one of our universities told his students: “HIV stands for the Human Is not the Virus...”..Our message is being spread!

OBSTACLES

Expenses: A concert costs a lot of money to prepare and so a lot of money had to be secured from sponsors before the initiation of our activities.

Timing: Since both Local Committees in LeMSIC worked on the campaign together, it was sometimes a problem to schedule times for our activities that suits both LCs. It was very important to come up with schemes to communicate with this huge number of people working together.

International Day on the elimination of the violence against women NMO: SISM Italy Project Coordinator: Federica Magne Contact Information: nora@sism.org SUMMARY

I created a poster campaign with pictures regarding the topic. Me, as NORA, and some of my LORAs were the models of photos taken by a professional photographer and a make-up artist that made us look like raped women.

We printed a short sentence on the poster so as for it to be more effective. Unfortunately it’s in Italian, but it means “This is not true love”.

We hang the poster in our universities as a sensibilization campaign.

In my NMO we have 37 local committees and I sent the pictures to all of my LORAs so we reached a big audience and it was a national project with a big success.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

• Increase interest on the topic among the students.

• Helping raped women to speak up and denounce the problem (as we also put in the poster addresses and telephone number of specialized organization on the topic).

• Inform about the day and give it visibility everywhere.

TARGET GROUP University student

LOGISTIC AND FINANCES

The local committees spent a little amount of money only for printing the documents.

It depends mainly on how many posters are printed. (around 20-30 euros).

We didn’t spend anything in the realization of the pictures because the photographer and make-up artist did it for free.

OUTCOMES

We started to speak about the topic on my national SCORA server and some very interested LORAs created a small working group on the topic. They made research and they shared their work with all the other local officers.

OBSTACLES

• Finding help of the university.

• Ask for the approval of the university.

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FGM Awareness project NMO: MedSIN Sudan - IFMSA Egypt Project Coordinator: Khalid Almak Contact Information: khalid_scora@yahoo.com SUMMARY

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. The practice is mostly carried out by traditional circumcisers, however FGM is being performed also by medically trained personnel.

FGM is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women. It reflects deep-rooted inequality between the sexes, and constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women. It is nearly always carried out on minors and is a violation of the rights of children.

The practice also violates a person’s rights to health,security and physical integrity.

Due to all those facts we chose to start our campaigns against female genital mutilation, by spreading awareness among medical students and the general public in order to make everyone aware of this inhuman act.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Our aim is to help the medical students and provide them with up-to-date data in order to enhance their scientific and legal knowledge, and correct their misunderstandings about FGM. We hope through that to change their attitudes and to qualify them to educate the society about FGM. Goal I: To assess medical students’ knowledge on FGM Goal II: To educate medical students on FGM Goal III: To change the students’ attitudes regarding FGM Goal III: To assess public knowledge on FGM

TARGET GROUP

Medical students and public community.

LOGISTIC AND FINANCES

no partners ors ponsers yet, it is operatedbylocal committees fund and manpowers

OUTCOMES • • •

Awareness of medical students about FGM and its dangers, and the legal and ethical aspect of doing it.

Awareness of community and creating a negative attitude towards FGM andpreventing further damage in the community.

Promote collaboration and partnership with different organizations on the national level though joined efforts and events.

OBSTACLES

Lack of sponsorship and cultural and religious sensitivity.

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Adolescer (Adolescence) NMO: Brazil - LC FAMERP Project Coordinator: Renata Cristina Vasconcellos Contact Information: renata.cv.92@gmail.com SUMMARY

The project is a union between the world-renowned First Gynecological Consultation and Peer Consultation for boys.

Thus, it became a large project, addressing multiple issues teen universe.

Peer through the method, we spread information and knowledge about various aspects such as female and male anatomy, sexual intercourse, contraception, STDs, gynecological importance of relationships, personal dilemmas and conflicts typical of teenage respecting the adolescent psyche.

Thus, we have established links with adolescents in public schools and low income through weekly meetings, discussions and always arranged with playful activities.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The project aims to promote awareness about sexual development, maturation and puberty. Thereby seeks to demystify the first gynecological consultation, emphasize its importance and explain diseases like breast cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer and also STDs. It also aims to exchange information regarding issues about relationships and conceptions of nature psychological, emotional and affective, covering topics such as bullying and homosexuality, for example. Added to these goals one of our main objectives: to approach the teen universe bringing about awareness of these important issues and promoting questioning and answers in order to make the participants proper citizens.

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S.U.L.L.E -projekti NMO: FiMSIC Project Coordinator: Pihla Patamaa Contact Information: nora@fimsic.org SUMMARY

S.U.L.L.E -projekti is a peer education project run by Finnish med students. Two or three med student give sex education classes to 15-year-old students. Young can choose the topics related to sex, gender and sexuality and discuss them with med students.

Usually in the class discussion focus on relationships, anatomy of genitals, STD’s, contraception, gender and sexual orientation variations. Peer educators are trained every autumn in a weekend-long training organized by NORA and topics in the classes are discussed by using interactive methods.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

• Give information and rise discussion about sexuality and sex-related topics • Help people accept and appreciate their own individual sexuality • Improve the sexual health and promote usage of condoms

TARGET GROUP 15-year-olds

LOGISTIC AND FINANCES

Following organizations are our main cooperation-organizations: Väestöliitto, Duodecim, SexPo, SETA. No pharma companies sponsoring project.

OUTCOMES

• Med students learn how to talk about sex-related issues • Young people get information and courage to talk about sex-related issues • We collect data about what teenagers want to talk about in related topics mentioned above

OBSTACLES

• How to maintain cooperation between schools and fit the schedules of schools and med students • How to train peer educators • How to finance the project

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life + NMO: TurkMSIC Project Coordinator: Argin Kubin Contact Information: arginkubin@yahoo.com SUMMARY

Youth health and HIV/AIDS is really important and growing in the worldMost of the young people do not know their rights and responsibilities in health issues.Alsothey can not reach accurate information.For this reason ‘’Life + ‘’ project aims to raise awareness on youth health and HIV/AIDS to avoid stigma. Our project consist on three parts. First part training course for medical students.

Second part is to raise awreness on the topic into society among young people.

Preparing festivals,advocacy campaigns activities on HIV/AIDS and discirimnation PLWH.Third part will be realized by medicine students.we would reach as much as we can by workshops which include Forum Theater performances.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

To decrease the rights violation of PLWH and discrimination by health stuff.

To organise forum theater performances with young groups and make them take responsiblity and increase awreness .

To give peer education and inform youth truthly

TARGET GROUP Youth esp. 18-25

LOGISTIC AND FINANCES

EGEHAUM(Ege University Medical Faculty HIV/AIDS Research and Consultation Center )logistic suppoort,consultant Positive Living Assosiaciton(materials,moderator). It was funded by National Agency as a local project 1.2 Youth in Action.

OUTCOMES

• We trained 20 medical students and teach them how to use forum theater • We performed forum theater five times with different youth groups and reached about 200 people in 4 performances.

• We showed the movie ‘Transit’ and organised activites, also during the process of organising WAD we make so many different NGOS all together we reached 700 youth.

OBSTACLES

We can not make medical student involve in project team.

So just a few people took big responsibilities.

Forum theater is so new for people also to combine with HIV/ AIDS is also difficult to work in my country some paperwork and permission stuff and try to make youth speak about it t was not such easy not just speaking to make them involve and motivate them to take responsibility.

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Daphne NMO: IFMSA-Poland, SloMSA Project Coordinator: Anna Szczegielniak Contact Information: anna.szczegielniak@gmail.com SUMMARY

DAPHNE was created by SCORA IFMSA-Poland in order to pay attention to a violence problem especially domestic violence against women. We teach how to react, where to find help and how to protect yourself from violence. 1/3 women experience physical or sexual violence from a partner in their lifetime. Doctors are often a first point of contact for women suffering from the effects of domestic violence.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The project consists of 3 main steps: • Active workshops for medical students. Our goals in 1st step are: detection and medical care of victims and guidance towards assistance organizations • Peer education in high schools . Goals in 2nd step: teaching self-confidence and assertive behavior - how to say “NO” • Social campaigns: STOP violence marches, posters etc. Goals in 3rd step: - rise awareness about violence prevention - providing general information on domestic violence

TARGET GROUP

Our target groups vary depending on our goals and involves mainly teenagers aged 14 and above in both sex. We focus on carrying lessons in high schools. We involve medical students and doctors to make them notice the violence problem in their area.

LOGISTIC AND FINANCES

Materials used: Power Point Presentation, markers, poster papers, leaflets, hall.

Manpower: Per one lesson we use 1-2 educators. During whole year we use around 100 educators. We cooperate with psychologists, sociologists, doctors, ethics and self-defense trainers. Right now all costs are covered by educators and local committees, but we are looking for partners and sponsors!

OUTCOMES

Our workshops, discussions and posters campaign are the best opportunity to increase the knowledge, awareness and effectiveness of prevention of violence problem. Self-defence courses made women feel more safe.

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Men’s issues NMO: IFMSA-Poland Project Coordinator: Anna Szczegielniak, Michal Dambek Contact Information: anna.szczegielniak@gmail.com, m.dambek@gmail.com SUMMARY The aim of our project is to decrease number of late diagnosis of male reproductive system’s pathologies among young boys. We want to achieve it by delivery of basic knowledge about daily hygiene, most common pathologies of male reproductive organs/STI’s (symptoms, causes, treatment, diagnostics, etc.), contraceptives, definition of ‘safe-sex behavior’ and ability to conduct self-examination of the body.

We want to fight with taboo topics by organizing workshops for medical students and lessons in schools for boys.

Through our activities participants learn that they are not alone with their questions and doubts; basic information about daily hygiene, most common pathologies of male reproductive organs, STI’s and contraceptives; what ‘safesex behavior’ means; how to conduct self-examination of their bodies; where they should look for help; and how a visit in doctor’s office should look like, what they may expect.

The constant character of the project indicate continuous evaluation and improvement. In result the development of the project goes on dynamic.

LOGISTIC AND FINANCES The ‘Men’s issues’ project is unfounded at this moment.

Necessary educational tools are founded by local committees from their budgets. We receive professional support supervision and printed materials- leaflets and posters- from outside organizations such as National Centre for AIDS or National Urology Society and we use them during workshops. Money is needed to make workshops more interactive and attractive for medical students.

OUTCOMES

• Stressing the lack of knowledge on ‘men’s issues’ among male teenagers and young adults; drawing the public attention to the problem • Basic knowledge on healthy/safe behavior • Ability to recognize the most common pathologies of male reproductive organs, STI’s among of the group of educated boys • Reduction of stress/fear level connected with visit in doctor’s/specialist’s office among boys • Decrease number of late diagnosis due to ability of conducting self-examination by male teenagers and young adults

OBSTACLES

• Lack of sponsors and money to support peer educators, develop and improve activities of the project and its structure • Protests against talking about taboo topics in schools • Not enough interest from media in the topic

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

• To provide general information about health of male reproductive system • To give practical advices on detection and medical care of the most common pathologies in mentioned above system • To learn what should appear on a medical certificate • To increase awareness of mentioned issues in society by giving peer education sessions for teenagers

TARGET GROUP First ones are medical students who should, after interactive workshops, understand how to respond to the problem.

Second one are boys from high schools who might be exposed to the discussed problem.

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SexEd NMO: LiMSA Project Coordinator: Gabriele Macionyte and Tatjana Liakina Contact Information: gabriele.macionyte@gmail.com SUMMARY

The project “SexEd: where we are and the way we are going” was implemented during Baltic Friendship Club (BFC) meeting (meeting of medical students from Lithuania,Estonia,Latvia,Fin land, Poland) in Lithuania. Theme of the project was based on situation of sexual education in schools in Baltic region which is quite similar and complicated. Sexual education is integrated into other subjects and not enough attention is payed to it.

Many teachers refuse to give sexual education by telling that nowadays youth knows more than they do. Moreover, NGOs can‘t give sexual education legally in some of Baltic region countries. Unfortunately, statistics are not very favorable as there are a lot of STIs, pregnancies and abortions in young age.

So the main aim of the project was to prepare recommendations for sexual education improvements in schools and offer these recommendations to National Governments and other NGOs.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

• Organise Baltic Friendship Club meeting where medical students from 5 different countries will share information about sexual education programs in their countries and statistic analysis of STIs, youth pregnancies, abortions and etc.

• Organise lectures, discussions and peer education training session • Write recommendations how to conduct sexual education for National Governments and other NGOs

TARGET GROUP School students.

LOGISTIC AND FINANCES

Partners: LaMSA, EstMSA, IFMSA-Poland and Lithuanian Parliament of School Students.

Sponsors: EU program “Youth in action”, Ministry of health of the Republic of Lithuania and Lithuanian university of health sciences

OUTCOMES

• Medical students from 5 different countries shared information about Sexual education programs, their advantages and disadvantages, statistic analysis of STIs, youth pregnancies, abortions and etc.

• Medical students from 5 different countries participated in lectures, discussions and Peer-education training session • Medical students from 5 different countries prepared recommendations how to conduct sexual education for National Governments and other NGOs

OBSTACLES

There were no delegates from FiMSIC so we had to find another partner from Finland because project required delegates from 5 countries.

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Illuminaids Zero Stigma and Discrimination against People Living with HIV and AIDS

By Keith Pace, Fadi Halabi and Julie Hebert IlluminAIDS is a transnational IFMSA project aimed at addressing the problem of stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS. Medical students all over the world have witnessed how human rights of PLWHA are being neglected and violated by means of care refusal, suboptimal care, excessive precautions and humiliation.

This is why MMSA-Malta, CroMSIC, IFMSA-Quebec, LeMSIC, ANEMF, HelMSIC, IFMSA-Serbia, IFMSACZ and TurkMSIC came together to fight this stigma by providing training on all aspects of HIV for health care students and professionals, and to focus on international and local advocacy through this project.

When AIDS was first described in the US in 1981, no one could have predicted the extent to which this disease would affect the world. Already more than 30 million people around the world have died of AIDS-related diseases. In 2010, 2.7 million people were newly infected with HIV and 1.8 million men, women and children died of AIDSrelated causes. 34 million people around the world are now living with HIV with more than 10 million not receiving treatment. Whilst antiretroviral treatment has made it possible for people living with HIV to lead a near normal life in terms of physical health, the same cannot be said for the social and psychological aspects of their health. After more than 25 years since the start of the epidemic, stigma and discrimination amongst the general population is still high worldwide. This represents a major obstacle in decreasing the number of people affected by HIV/AIDS. People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) come from all walks of life and the main mode of transmission will vary greatly from one country to another. Many people worry about infection in the healthcare system, perhaps because of all the rumours and myths that surround AIDS. Various stories of deliberate infection are circulated on the internet.

The problems with these myths is that no matter how much we try to disprove them and expose them as deceptive, the fear has already been inculcated into the mind of the reader.

There is a big difference between keeping safe and sheer stigma. In 2009 the GfK National Opinion polls reported that 85% of people know that HIV cannot be transmitted from a kiss, but 69% still would not kiss someone who is HIV positive. Such stigma makes it difficult to decrease the number of new infections, as people living with HIV become scared to approach the healthcare system for help and treatment.

law can make PLWHA more aware of their rights and can empower them. However, most fear is rooted in a lack of knowledge and this can be tackled through education and advocacy.

This year’s theme for World AIDS Day was getting to Zero” – Zero New HIV Infections, Zero Discrimination and Zero AIDS Related Deaths. This was definitely an opportunity for the IlluminAIDS teams to get out there and spread the word of zero discrimination. In Malta bookmarks were given out with the message ‘Why Discriminate when HIV/AIDS can only be spread through direct blood to blood contact, unprotected sex and from mother to child in pregnancy’.

MMSA-Malta’s WAD Campaign also included a seminar about HIV and AIDS which looked into the epidemiological aspect of this disease and gave practical tips on what we as students can do both to prevent and also to be part of the fight against the stigma associated with HIV/ AIDS. IlluminAIDS has also seen SCORA in Malta liaise with SCOME to include the topic in the medical curriculum at the Maltese Medical School, an effort which has been successful.

In Lebanon, the fight against discrimination was also the focus of this year’s WAD campaign. Wearing shirts that said, “The Human Is not the Virus” and “If you can point a finger, you can lend a hand”, the members of LeMSICSCORA roamed the streets of Beirut. They gave out Free Hugs and pamphlets prepared by the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health against discrimination towards those living with HIV/AIDS. In addition, new activities that focus on discrimination have been added into the peer-education program on sexual health within LeMSIC, such that discrimination becomes a regular topic in their peer-education sessions.

IFMSA-Québec organized a Free Hugs Campaign, reaching out to around 400 people in Montreal, empowering them with information regarding the modes of transmission of HIV/AIDS and thus tackling prejudice.

The members of IFMSA-Québec handed out pamphlets with information, candy, red ribbons and lots of hugs of course! Most people in Montreal knew that HIV/ AIDS isn’t transmitted through hugging, but the ‘Free Hugs’ cardboards were a good way of grasping people’s attention.

This is an easy initiative to organize, especially if you want to get students involved in a large public event, all you need is some cardboards, pens and a lot of SCORAlicious love and motivation!

Some may be fired from their jobs or refused entry into a foreign country or even rejected by friends and family. It is up to us to make the difference, it is true that policy and

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Algeria (Le Souk) Argentina (IFMSA-Argentina) Armenia (AMSP) Australia (AMSA) Austria (AMSA) Azerbaijan (AzerMDS) Bahrain (IFMSA-BH) Bangladesh (BMSS) Belgium (BeMSA) Bolivia (IFMSA Bolivia) Bosnia and Herzegovina (BoHeMSA) Bosnia and Herzegovina - Rep. of Srpska (SaMSIC) Brazil (DENEM) Brazil (IFMSA Brazil) Bulgaria (AMSB) Burkina Faso (AEM) Burundi (ABEM) Canada (CFMS) Canada-Quebec (IFMSA-Quebec) Catalonia - Spain (AECS) Chile (IFMSA-Chile) China (IFMSA-China) Colombia (ASCEMCOL) Costa Rica (ACEM) Croatia (CroMSIC) Czech Republic (IFMSA CZ) Denmark (IMCC) Ecuador (IFMSA-Ecuador) Egypt (EMSA) Egypt (IFMSA-Egypt) El Salvador (IFMSA El Salvador) Estonia (EstMSA) Ethiopia (EMSA) Finland (FiMSIC) France (ANEMF) Georgia (GYMU) Germany (BVMD) Ghana (FGMSA) Greece (HelMSIC) Grenada (IFMSA-Grenada) Hong Kong (AMSAHK) Hungary (HuMSIRC) Iceland (IMSIC) Indonesia (CIMSA-ISMKI) Iran (IFMSA-Iran) Israel (FIMS) Italy (SISM) Jamaica (JAMSA) Japan (IFMSA-Japan) Jordan (IFMSA-Jo) Kenya (MSAKE) Korea (KMSA) Kurdistan - Iraq (IFMSA-Kurdistan/Iraq)

Kuwait (KuMSA) Kyrgyzstan (MSPA Kyrgyzstan) Latvia (LaMSA Latvia) Lebanon (LeMSIC) Libya (LMSA) Lithuania (LiMSA) Luxembourg (ALEM) Malaysia (SMAMMS) Mali (APS) Malta (MMSA) Mexico (IFMSA-Mexico) Mongolia (MMLA) Montenegro (MoMSIC Montenegro) Mozambique (IFMSA-Mozambique) Nepal (NMSS) New Zealand (NZMSA) Nigeria (NiMSA) Norway (NMSA) Oman (SQU-MSG) Pakistan (IFMSA-Pakistan) Palestine (IFMSA-Palestine) Panama (IFMSA-Panama) Paraguay (IFMSA-Paraguay) Peru (APEMH) Peru (IFMSA Peru) Philippines (AMSA-Philippines) Poland (IFMSA-Poland) Portugal (PorMSIC) Romania (FASMR) Russian Federation (HCCM) Rwanda (MEDSAR) Saudi Arabia (IFMSA-Saudi Arabia) Serbia (IFMSA-Serbia) Slovakia (SloMSA) Slovenia (SloMSIC) South Africa (SAMSA) Spain (IFMSA-Spain) Sudan (MedSIN-Sudan) Sweden (IFMSA-Sweden) Switzerland (SwiMSA) Taiwan (IFMSA-Taiwan) Tanzania (TAMSAz) Tatarstan-Russia (TaMSA-Tatarstan) Thailand (IFMSA-Thailand) The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (MMSA-Macedonia) The Netherlands (IFMSA-The Netherlands) Tunisia (ASSOCIA-MED) Turkey (TurkMSIC) Uganda (FUMSA) United Arab Emirates (EMSS) United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Medsin-UK) United States of America (AMSA-USA) Venezuela (FEVESOCEM)

www.ifmsa.org medical students worldwide