HIV and AIDS
AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, a disease
that makes it difficult for the body to fight off infectious diseases. The human
immunodeficiency virus known as HIV causes AIDS by infecting and damaging part
of the body's defenses against infection, namely the white blood cells known as
CD4 helper lymphocytes (pronounced: limp-fuh-sites).
The only known way for the HIV virus to be transmitted from one person to
another is when it is spread from the inside of an infected person's body to the
inside of another person's body. This can happen when infected fluids - such as
semen (also known as cum, the fluid released when a male ejaculates), vaginal
fluids, or blood - are passed from one person to another. A person can become
infected even if only tiny amounts of these fluids are spread.
How does someone become infected?
HIV can be spread through sexual intercourse if one of the partners has the
virus. The virus can be spread through an infected person's blood, semen, and
secretions from the cervix (part of a female's uterus) or vagina. HIV can travel
to another person through cuts and sores on the penis, rectum (the last part of
the intestine that connects to the anus), vagina, or skin around the genitals
and probably the mouth and other mucous membranes. These cuts or sores are often
so small that a person isn't even aware of them. Girls and guys who have a
discharge (an abnormal fluid coming from the vagina or penis) or genital sores
because they have a sexually transmitted disease are at increased risk for
infection. HIV can be spread sexually from a man to a woman, a woman to a man, a
man to a man, and a woman to a woman.
People who inject themselves with illegal drugs also risk infecting themselves
with HIV. Many people who use needles to take intravenous drugs or steroids
share the needles with others. If a person with HIV shares a needle, he or she
also shares the virus, which lives in the tiny amounts of blood attached to the
needle. Sharing needles can also pass other serious infections to another
person.
Also, a newborn baby is at risk of getting the HIV virus from his or her mother
if she is infected. This can happen before the baby is born, during birth, or
through breastfeeding. Pregnant teens and women should be tested for HIV because
women who receive treatment for HIV are much less likely to spread the virus to
their babies. Babies born to mothers infected with HIV are also given special
medicines to try to prevent HIV infection.
If you have never had sex and you don't inject drugs, you don't need to worry
about whether you have HIV. But if you have had sex or are planning to in the
future, HIV is definitely something you should be prepared to prevent. If you do
have sex, using latex condoms properly every time can help protect you. Condoms
work by providing a barrier to the body fluids that can be shared during sexual
activity (including oral sex). Always follow the directions exactly and never
use the same condom twice.
Asking people if they have HIV is not a reliable way of finding out
whether they are infected. People may not answer truthfully. They may be
embarrassed to tell you or may not want you to know. Or they may not even
know they have the virus because it can take many years for symptoms to
develop. An infected person will look healthy for many years and can still
spread the virus. The most certain way of preventing HIV infection is by not
having sex (abstinence) and by not sharing needles to do drugs.
Fact Sheet
The AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) epidemic among adolescents in the United States continues to be an increasing concern. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 4,219 cumulative cases of AIDS among adolescents, or children ages 13 through 19, were reported through June 2001. The number of adolescents living with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is estimated to be much higher. Data from the 36 states that conduct HIV case surveillance indicate that among adolescents ages 13 through 19:
Because the average period of time from HIV infection to the development of
AIDS is 10 years, most young adults with AIDS were likely infected with HIV as
adolescents. Almost 17 percent of all reported cases of AIDS in the United
States occur in people between the ages of 20 and 29. HIV infection is the sixth
leading cause of death in this age group.
Transmission
Most adolescents recently infected with HIV are exposed to the virus through
sexual intercourse. Through June 2001, HIV surveillance data suggest that more
than one-half of all HIV-infected adolescent males are infected through sex with
men. A small percentage of males appear to be exposed by injection drug use
and/or heterosexual contact. The same data suggest that one-half of all
adolescent females who are infected with HIV were exposed through heterosexual
contact and a very small percentage through injection drug use.
Results of a CDC study conducted every 2 years in high schools (grades 9 through
12) indicate that in 1999
Approximately one quarter of the 15 million cases of sexually transmitted
diseases (STDs) reported in the United States each year are among teenagers.
This is particularly significant because if either partner is infected with
another STD, the risk of HIV transmission increases substantially. If one of the
partners is infected with an STD that causes the discharge of pus and mucus,
such as gonorrhea or chlamydial infection, the risk of HIV transmission is three
to five times greater. If one of the partners is infected with an STD that
causes ulcers, such as syphilis or genital herpes, the risk of HIV transmission
is nine times greater.
Treatment
Adolescents tend to think they are invincible, and therefore, to deny any risk. This belief may cause them to engage in risky behavior, to delay HIV testing, and if they test positive, to delay or refuse treatment. Doctors report that many young people, when they learn they are HIV-positive, take several months to accept their diagnosis and return for treatment. Health care professionals may be able to help these adolescents by