As
of December 1993, nearly 68,000 people between the
ages of 20 and 29 have been diagnosed with AIDS. Many
of them probably were infected with the virus that
causes AIDS when they were teenagers.
You
or your friends may unknowingly be doing things that
put you at risk for getting infected with HIV. For
instance, the virus that causes AIDS can be passed
from one person to another through unprotected sexual
intercourse. Today a teen in the United States gets
pregnant every 30 seconds. Every 11 seconds a teen
in the United States gets a sexually transmitted disease
(STD), such as gonorrhea or chlamydia. The same sexual
activities that cause pregnancy and give you STDs
can infect you with the virus that causes AIDS.
There are other ways besides sexual intercourse that
teens can get AIDS. To find out how to protect yourself
and your friends, read on.
What
is AIDS?
- AIDS
stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
- AIDS
is a condition in which the body's immune system-the
system that fights off sickness-breaks down. Because
the system fails, a person with AIDS typically develops
a variety of life-threatening illnesses.
What
is HIV Infection?
- AIDS
is caused by a virus that scientists call human
immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. A virus is a small
germ that can cause disease.
- If
HIV enters your body, you may become infected with
HIV. From the time a person is infected, he or she
can infect others, even if no symptoms are present.
A special blood test can detect HIV.
- HIV
can hide in a person's body for years without producing
any symptoms. Even if no symptoms are present, anyone
infected with HIV should be under a doctor's care.
- People
infected with HIV can develop many health problems.
These can include extreme weight loss, severe pneumonia,
certain forms of cancer, and damage to the nervous
system. These illnesses signal the onset of AIDS.
In some people, these illnesses may develop within
a year or two. Others may stay healthy for as long
as 10 or more years before symptoms appear.
What
Is The Difference Between HIV And AIDS?
- HIV
infection and AIDS are serious health problems.
AIDS is the result of a long process that begins
with HIV infection.
- A
person will not develop AIDS unless he or she has
been infected with HIV. By preventing HIV infection,
we can prevent future cases of AIDS.
How
Does Someone Become Infected With HIV?
A
person becomes infected when HIV is introduced into
his or her body. There are two main ways that people
become infected with HIV:
- By
engaging in unprotected sexual intercourse—vaginal,
anal, or oral— with an infected person.
- By
sharing drug needles or syringes with an infected
person.
In
addition, there are two other documented ways:
- Women
who are infected with HIV can pass it on to their
babies during pregnancy, birth, or breast-feeding.
- Some
people have become infected through receiving blood
transfusions. Since 1985, the American blood supply
has been tested for HIV. Transmission through an
infected blood transfusion is extremely rare today.
How
Does Someone Get HIV Through Sex?
- HIV
is spread through unprotected sexual intercourse,
from male to female, female to male, or male to
male. Female-to-female transmission is also possible.
- HIV
may be in an infected person's blood, semen, or
vaginal secretions. It is thought that it can enter
the body through cuts or sores—some so small you
don't know they're there—on tissue in the vagina,
penis, or rectum, and possibly the mouth.
- Since
many people infected with HIV have no symptoms,
you can't be sure who is infected. Any contact with
infected blood, semen, or vaginal secretions may
spread the virus. Therefore, the more sex partners
you have, the greater your chances of encountering
one who is infected, and then becoming infected
yourself.
How
Does Someone Get HIV From Sharing Needles?
Sharing needles, even once, is a very easy way
to be infected with HIV. Whether you inject drugs
or steroids, you risk becoming infected with HIV if
you share needles or syringes. Blood from an infected
person can stay in a needle or syringe and then be
transmitted to the next person who uses it.
How Can I Avoid HIV Infection?
Don't do drugs of any kind. Sharing needles to
inject drugs can infect you with HIV. Many drugs,
especially alcohol, can cloud your judgment and cause
you to do things that place you at risk for HIV infection.
Don't
have sexual intercourse. Abstinence is the only sure
protection. If you do have sexual intercourse, wait
until you are in a long-term, mutually faithful relationship,
such as marriage, with an uninfected partner. By choosing
not to have intercourse, you:
- Help
guarantee your safety from all sexually transmitted
diseases, including HIV infection. Remember, every
11 seconds a teen in the U.S. gets a sexually transmitted
disease.
- Give
yourself more time to be sure you are physically
and emotionally ready to engage in a sexual relationship.
- Give
yourself more time to learn and understand more
about the physical and emotional aspects of sexual
relationships.
- Follow
religious, cultural, and social traditions that
favor postponing intercourse until marriage.
- Help
guarantee your safety from unwanted pregnancy. Remember,
every 30 seconds a teen in the U.S. gets pregnant.
When
you decide you are ready to become sexually active,
do so only with one uninfected partner in a mutually
faithful, long-term relationship.
Avoid
sexual intercourse with people who may be infected
with HIV. These include people who have:
- Injected
drugs
- Had
multiple or anonymous sex partners.
- Had
any sexually transmitted diseases.
If
you have sexual intercourse outside of a mutually
faithful, long-term relationship with an uninfected
partner, use a latex condom.
Do
not make decisions about sexual intercourse while
under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.
These
substances can cloud your judgment and cause you to
take risks that could put you in danger of becoming
infected with HIV.
How
Else Can I Help Stop AIDS?
If
you've read this far, you know the facts about HIV
infection and AIDS. You'd be surprised at how many
people don't know them. A lot of people believe all
sorts of myths about AIDS—myths that can be very harmful.
These myths can cause people to unknowingly put themselves,
and others, at risk of infection. They can also cause
people to treat others unfairly. For instance, some
people incorrectly think that AIDS only affects certain
groups of people. Because they fear AIDS, they do
cruel things to people in those groups.
We should work to make sure that such prejudice and
unfair treatment doesn't happen. Now that you know
the facts about HIV infection and AIDS, you can tell
others the truth and speak out against myths and prejudice.
What's more, people infected with HIV and those with
AIDS can use your help. If you know someone who has
AIDS, you can give compassion, friendship, or other
help without fear of infection from everyday contact.
Even if you don't know anyone who is infected, you
can join your community's effort to stop AIDS. You
can volunteer your time with a local health organization,
youth group, or religious group that has an HIV and
AIDS program. Or you can contribute just by informally
educating your peers about AIDS. Who knows? You just
may save someone's life.
-From
the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
