Every minute, five people ages 15 to 24 are infected with HIV. |
Of all the sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS is perhaps the most frightening, because it has no cure.
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Of the 33 million people worldwide who have HIV, at least one-third are ages 10 to 24.
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Nearly 3 million new infections occur annually among young people, including 1.7 million in Africa and 700,000 in Asia and the Pacific.
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Some 10.4 million youth under age 15 have lost one or both parents to AIDS. Many of these AIDS orphans live on the streets and suffer abuse and exploitation.
People who are HIV-positive may face ostracism in their communities. Adolescents may be forced out of school or home. They are typically less aware of their legal rights, more vulnerable to financial hardships and less able to find and purchase care. They may be angry that they were infected so early in life and confused about their future and the risk of spreading the disease to others.
While AIDS has no cure, HIV infection can be prevented, and you as a service provider can play a major role in this area.
You can explain that:
- HIV is most commonly transmitted in one of three ways:
- Through sexual intercourse (semen and vaginal fluids).
- Through contact with infected blood (shared or reused needles, accidental sticks with needles, shared razors, body piercing, transfusions of infected blood).
- From mother to infant during pregnancy or delivery (vaginal fluids) or through breastmilk.
- HIV is not transmitted:
- Through the air, the way tuberculosis or colds are.
- By insect bites.
- Through saliva or kissing.*
- Through touching or hugging.
- Through food.
- By sharing plates, cups or glasses with someone who is infected.
- Through swimming.
- On toilet seats.
- Through condoms (as has been rumored in some countries).
* "Wet" kissing is considered safe if no cuts in the mouth are present.
- Sexual activities that increase the risk of HIV include:
- Vaginal sex without a condom.
- Anal sex without a condom.
- Taking semen in the mouth during oral-genital sex.
- Any sexual act that causes bleeding.
- The best way to tell if a person has HIV is through a blood test. This usually reveals the presence of HIV six to eight weeks after exposure.
- In working with young people to help them prevent HIV, you can:
- Provide services for youth that offer education and information about HIV prevention.
- Provide information to help young people make decisions about sexual behaviors.
- Discuss safe forms of sexual expression.
- Provide opportunities for youth to discuss sexuality and sexual responsibility.
- Offer condoms to sexually active young men and women and encourage use with every act of intercourse.
- Build networks with other organizations that work with young people.
- Provide compassionate care, respect and support for adolescents who are HIV-positive or who have AIDS.
- Treat youth with AIDS for opportunistic infections.
- Help young people separate fact from fiction about what HIV is and how it is transmitted.
- Provide young men with accurate information about the increased risk of HIV transmission from sex workers and the special need for condom use during these sexual contacts.
- Inform young women of the special risks of HIV infection from older men (e.g., sugar daddies) in some communities.
"I go about telling people my status ... they accuse me of being promiscuous. But this sexual act that left me HIV-positive was only my second."
Young adult |
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Questions for Providers and Program Managers about Preventing HIV/AIDS |
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? Are there data on adolescence and HIV in your community? What percentage of the adolescent population in your community is HIV-positive?
? Does your clinic or program offer HIV testing and counseling for adolescents?
? If not, are there other clinics, agencies or organizations where you can refer clients? What are the names and locations of these clinics or organizations? How do you make adolescents aware of them? What factors would encourage you to set up linkages with these organizations? What barriers would you encounter? How could you overcome these barriers?
? What types of information and education does your clinic provide to prevent HIV transmission among young people? Can you link with other clinics or organizations, such as schools, women's groups or employers, to provide HIV information? |
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