playing with kids in developing countries

[ambiguous]

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I'm sorry if this is an insanely ignorant question but what are chances of getting a disease from touching and hugging people in developing countries? Not to say that all people are "diseased" so to say but considering their level of hygiene, how careful SHOULD i be? I want to say its safe so long as I dont have any open wounds on my body but what about scabies or lice in hair?

I ask because I'm going to go volunteer overseas soon possibly and want the comfort of knowing I can play and hug the kids all i want without having to be careful.

 

[8744]

I'm sorry if this is an insanely ignorant question but what are chances of getting a disease from touching and hugging people in developing countries? Not to say that all people are "diseased" so to say but considering their level of hygiene, how careful SHOULD i be? I want to say its safe so long as I dont have any open wounds on my body but what about scabies or lice in hair?

I ask because I'm going to go volunteer overseas soon possibly and want the comfort of knowing I can play and hug the kids all i want without having to be careful.

It's only the ones who die in your arms as you stare angrily at the setting sun who can give you something. Just wear gloves and breathe out of the side of your mouth and you shoud be all right.

 

[Ross434]

I usually only play with kids who are from "2nd world" countries, at the very minimum. When it comes to hugging or close physical contact, I'd have to say i draw the line citizens of countries that have been democratic for at least 150 years, or are in the top 5 for GDP.

 

[UserNameNeeded]

Why would you "touch and play" with someone you barely know (one night stands excluded)?

 

[Rafa]

Threads like these make SDN worth reading.

 

[Hoooba]

I usually only play with kids who are from "2nd world" countries, at the very minimum. When it comes to hugging or close physical contact, I'd have to say i draw the line citizens of countries that have been democratic for at least 150 years, or are in the top 5 for GDP.

LOL

 

[Law2Doc]

I ask because I'm going to go volunteer overseas soon possibly and want the comfort of knowing I can play and hug the kids all i want without having to be careful.

I didn't realize Michael Jackson was on SDN.
Just don't do a jump without wearing a parachute.

 

[Diceman M.D.]

You know, in some cultures you're NOT supposed to go around touching and hugging and playing with children unless you're basically a close relative or their parent. That's not just child-molestation-sensation America, that's a lot of other places - some parts of the Middle East, a lot of Asian countries, countries in Africa. Make sure you know the cultural rules and sensitivities of whatever place you intend on spending time with children before applying American norms to other people's kids. And that goes for everyone, not just you, even though your intentions are probably just helpful.

 

[SoCuteMD]

I would guess the biggest risk would be TB, and if you are spending any time in a hospital then it's a far bigger risk there.

I loved Africa, but I don't know how i would have made it though my days without playing with, hugging and running around with the kids in our village!!

 

[fromnowhere]

It depends on the seasons. There is nothing harmful in playing with the kids. There really like it. If you are in a tropical country during the dry season avoid hugging. This is because there so many skin rashes especially from kids playing in the dirt. Apart from that you are fine. Developing countries don't have the so called "Molesters". A child belongs to everyone. We are too sexually perverted in this country.

 

[UserNameNeeded]

haha damn you guys are ruthless... making me into a child molester and sht.

We tease the ones we 😍.

 

[8744]

...Developing countries don't have the so called "Molesters"...

Are you joking? Tell me you are not so politically correct as to believe that pedophilia is strictly a Western practice?

Good Lord. It just gets no attention in a place like the Sudan because nobody cares. Not to mention that what we call pedophilia is an accepted cutural practice in the more backwards areas of the globe which explains the still thriving slave trade in sub-Sharan Africa and much of the Arab world.

 

[8744]

...A child belongs to everyone...

My my my. How your attitude is going to change when you have your own children.

I nominate your post as the most ludicrous, the most divorced from reality in the history of SDN.

 

[wendywellesley]

I'm sorry if this is an insanely ignorant question but what are chances of getting a disease from touching and hugging people in developing countries? Not to say that all people are "diseased" so to say but considering their level of hygiene, how careful SHOULD i be? I want to say its safe so long as I dont have any open wounds on my body but what about scabies or lice in hair?

I ask because I'm going to go volunteer overseas soon possibly and want the comfort of knowing I can play and hug the kids all i want without having to be careful.

i can understand the concern. i lived/volunteered in a haitian refugee village in the dominican republic this past summer. the kids BEGGED us to play with them. i picked up the little ones all the time (even the naked ones) and they loved it. they were all really desperate for attention. i'm fine now, didn't get sick. as long as you wash your hands a lot and use antibiotic lotion, i think you should be fine. of course, this depends where you are but be smart about it and if they look healthy, there shouldn't be too much cause for concern.

 

[infiniti]

I'm sorry if this is an insanely ignorant question but what are chances of getting a disease from touching and hugging people in developing countries? Not to say that all people are "diseased" so to say but considering their level of hygiene, how careful SHOULD i be? I want to say its safe so long as I dont have any open wounds on my body but what about scabies or lice in hair?

I ask because I'm going to go volunteer overseas soon possibly and want the comfort of knowing I can play and hug the kids all i want without having to be careful.

Just be smart about it. The funny thing is that if you live there for a while, your level of hygiene will basically be the same as the people there (wherever "there" implies). Playing and touching are meant to be acts of fun. You won't enjoy contact if you spend every second analyzing it. That being said, use your head.

You might also want to consider the idea of not touching anyone at all. Touching and playing are not the only ways to communicate or have fun with people.

 

[infiniti]

Let's also not forget that you are playing with kids. I would be more worried about them getting sick from you than vice versa. We've all heard horror stories about westerners (whatever this means) making other people sick. Just food for thought!

 

[Antiviral22]

I think there are just as many risks working closely with patients in an American hospital. For example, in my previous life, I worked as a physical therapist in an ICU, and believe me, I was exposed to plenty of bugs and foul body fluids and I turned out fine.

 

[Law2Doc]

I was exposed to plenty of bugs and foul body fluids and I turned out fine.

That should be on a T shirt or bumper sticker. 🙂

 

[xaviera_o]

I'm sorry if this is an insanely ignorant question but what are chances of getting a disease from touching and hugging people in developing countries? Not to say that all people are "diseased" so to say but considering their level of hygiene, how careful SHOULD i be? I want to say its safe so long as I dont have any open wounds on my body but what about scabies or lice in hair?

I ask because I'm going to go volunteer overseas soon possibly and want the comfort of knowing I can play and hug the kids all i want without having to be careful.

good thing is scabies and lice are pretty easy to cure so they are more uncomfortable than anything. i lived in a country were they were pretty common and worked (and hugged and carried) with kids who had both and i never got them. (i did have lice several times as a kid and its definitely not enjoyable!)
in fact only one person i knew out of a group of 43 ever got lice.
now parasites are another problem to worry about more. most people i knew got some sort of parasitic infection at some point no matter how careful they were with their water or food. amoebiasis seemed to be pretty common...
and as was said TB but then again as long as your immune system isn't giving you any trouble, you PPD might start coming up positive after you get back but you'll prob not develop active TB (my situation now)
so basically enjoy your time wherever you're going and don't worry too much about what you might catch. you will most prob catch something or another but the more common things tend to be easily curable and its all part of the experience.
Good luck! 🙂

 

[caroladybelle]

Have any of you guys seen the level of hygiene in the local daycare/kindergarten/play park? There are plenty of cases of scabies and lice to be found there.

 

[SalseraDoctora]

Okay I am just as shocked as the rest of you that this seems to have been a seriously post, but poor ambiguous I feel sorry for him or her. At least he/she is trying to do something nice, and traveling and doing things just like this help diminish ignorance. That, I am sure, is how the rest of us learned.

 

[wendywellesley]

Okay I am just as shocked as the rest of you that this seems to have been a seriously post, but poor ambiguous I feel sorry for him or her. At least he/she is trying to do something nice, and traveling and doing things just like this help diminish ignorance. That, I am sure, is how the rest of us learned.

it's a simple fear of the unknown. before i went to the DR i was kind of scared just because i didn't know what i would find. but yeah, putting yourself out there is a good way to learn.

 

[Vox Animo]

I'm sorry if this is an insanely ignorant question but what are chances of getting a disease from touching and hugging people in developing countries? Not to say that all people are "diseased" so to say but considering their level of hygiene, how careful SHOULD i be? I want to say its safe so long as I dont have any open wounds on my body but what about scabies or lice in hair?

I ask because I'm going to go volunteer overseas soon possibly and want the comfort of knowing I can play and hug the kids all i want without having to be careful.

Never shake a baby.