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WHY HAVE A WEBSITE ABOUT HIV/AIDS FOR TEENS?
HIV is the virus which causes
AIDS and it can affect teens.
People who have HIV don't look any different
than most of your friends or act any differently from people who don't have HIV. They usually seem very healthy.
HIV sometimes takes several years to cause AIDS, so many HIV carriers do not know they have it. And if they
don't know...they aren't thinking about protecting you. That's the main problem.
Knowledge is power. Knowing you have HIV/AIDS can give you control and power over
your life...and that's what this site is about. Giving you the knowledge you need to make positive choices to protect
yourself and those you love.
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There are about 6,000
to 7,000 children who are born to HIV-infected mothers each year in the United States alone.
Nearly 50% of HIV infections
in the U.S. occur in young people 13-24 years of age and that’s 20,000 new HIV positive youth every year.
Between 1992 and 1997 the
number of infants who became HIV positive when born to an infected mother went down by 50 percent. This decrease
reflects changes in the laws...and the new anti-retroviral medications that are given to the mother before her baby is born.
Because babies contract HIV often during delivery, cesarean section may be needed for some women. |
Data from the CDC suggest that more than one-half of all HIV-infected teen males are
infected through sex with men. A small percentage of males appear to be exposed by injection drug use and/or heterosexual
contact. This info 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.
Approximately 25% 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 is much greater.
If one of the partners is infected with an STD that causes the discharge of pus and/or
mucus, such as gonorrhea or chlamydial infection, the risk of HIV transmission jumps way up. Think about that!
If one of the partners is infected with a STD that causes ulcers, such as syphilis or
genital herpes, the risk of HIV transmission is nine times greater.
Oral sex is often thought of as the "safer sex". Well it's NOT!It's
incidence among young adults and teens is well documented. In fact, some studies have shown that oral sex in high schools
is as common as kissing was twenty years ago. Many adolescents believe that oral sex is a safe way to engage in sex, free
from the worry of pregnancy and disease. The TRUTH is that oral sex is
not as safe as you think. Studies have concluded that infected bodily fluids such as semen and vaginal secretions have high
concentrations of HIV and can enter the blood stream through the mucous membranes
of the mouth. One such study revealed that in one group of newly infected HIV positive young adults, many reported their only
sexual contact was oral sex.
WHAT DOES HIV-POSITIVE MEAN?
The term HIV positive is used to describe anyone who has become infected with the HIV
virus and whose blood has antibodies or markers for HIV, or “positive” for antibodies. These antibodies are made
by the immune system. The immune system is the part of your body that fights infections and disease. Antibodies working in
the immune system can often protect the body from having an illness, again.
HIV however, is very unusual in that it hides in T cells. That means, that even though the body makes antibodies to fight HIV, the antibodies cannot find and
kill the virus.
I JUST TESTED HIV-POSITIVE...NOW WHAT?
If you have HIV, it is important to know that you could
give the virus to others by having unprotected sex or sharing needles (or, if you have a child, by breast-feeding). This is
true even if you are feeling perfectly fine, and even if you are taking HIV medications or your virus is "undetectable." Using
condoms and clean needles can prevent spreading HIV to other people. It can also protect you from getting infected with other
strains of HIV or other diseases.
Remember: the most important things you can do
right now are:
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Start seeing a doctor or other health care provider. |
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2) Ask for help or support.
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WHAT IS "TREATMENT" ALL ABOUT?
Learning that you are HIV positive at a young
age is extremely difficult, but there are treatment options available. Most teens with sexually acquired HIV are in a relatively
early stage of infection and are ideal candidates for early intervention that may alter the need to be on lifelong antiretroviral
therapy.
Teens who were infected at birth or via blood products
as young children follow a unique clinical course that may differ from that of other adolescents and long-term surviving adults.
Your doctor can decide what treatment options are best suited to meet your needs.
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SYMPTOMS OF HIV AND AIDS
WHAT IS "SAFER SEX"?
MORE INFO ON TREATMENTS
"THE DEAL", ADOLESCENCE AIDS PROGRAM
THE TRUTH ABOUT CONDOMS
WHAT OTHER TEEN SAY ABOUT BEING HIV-POSITIVE?
EN ESPANOL (INFO-SPANISH)
EN FRANCAIS (INFO-FRENCH)
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