 Teen
Education on HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS is preventable and treatable. To stay healthy, you need
to know the facts and to get the facts you need to ask the
questions. Here are a few common questions you may have about
HIV and AIDS.
(This
information came from Avert.org. For more information
about HIV/AIDS, click on the link at the bottom of the page and
visit their website.)
What's the big deal about HIV/AIDS?
It's easy to think that AIDS is something for other people to
worry about - gay people, drug users, people who sleep around. This
is wrong - all teens, whoever they are, wherever they live need to
take the threat of HIV seriously. To be able to protect yourself,
you need to know the facts, and know how to avoid becoming infected.
Isn't it only a problem for adults?
No. HIV is a big problem for young people, as well as adults. In
2004, it is estimated that there were 2.2 million people under 15
living with HIV.
Monica: "I am 15 years old and my best friend who is a male
has AIDS and we were really close so one night we experimented and
after the fact that we "did it" he told me that he had AIDS."
What's the difference between HIV and AIDS?
HIV is the virus that causes
AIDS. AIDS is a serious
condition in which the body's defences against some illnesses are
broken down. This means that people with AIDS can get many different
kinds of diseases which a healthy person's body would normally fight
off quite easily.
How long does it take for HIV to cause AIDS?
The length of time between being infected with HIV and being
diagnosed with AIDS depends on lots of different things. These days,
there are many drugs that can be used to help people with HIV, and
most doctors believe that a lot of people can be treated for a very
long time. Many people do not know exactly when they were infected
with HIV, and the length of time between this happening and them
being diagnosed with AIDS can be very variable.
So how do you get infected?
HIV is passed on in the sexual fluids or blood of an infected
person, so if infected blood or sexual fluid gets into your body,
you can become infected. This usually happens by either having
sexual intercourse
with an infected person or by sharing needles used to inject drugs
with an infected person. People can also become infected by being
born to a mother who has HIV and a very small number of people
become infected by having medical treatment using infected blood
transfusions.
HIV can't be caught by kissing, hugging or shaking hands with an
infected person, and it can't be transmitted by sneezes, door
handles or dirty glasses.
What is "safe
sex"?
Safe sex means sexual activities which you can do even if one
person is infected with HIV, and they definitely won't pass it on to
the other person. Loads of activities are completely safe. You can
kiss, cuddle, massage and rub each other's bodies. But if you have
any cuts or sores on your skin, make sure they are covered with
plasters (band-aids). Nothing you do on your own can cause you to
get HIV - you can't infect yourself by masturbation.
What about using drugs?
The only way to be safe around drugs is not to take them. If you
are on drugs you may take risks you normally wouldn't take, and you
may have unsafe sex when you would normally be more careful. If you
take drugs, you might find it more difficult to use a condom, or you
might forget altogether. One of the most common drugs this can
happen with is alcohol - if you're drunk, you might not always know
what you're doing, or you might not care.
If you inject drugs, you should always use a clean needle,
syringe and spoon, water, etc each time you inject, and never share
any of these with anyone else. If you snort drugs, and you use a
note or a straw to snort through, you shouldn't share it with anyone
else, as blood can be passed from the inside of one person's nose to
another.
If you have a tattoo or a piercing, you should make sure that the
needles and equipment used are sterile. Ask the staff at the place
you have it done about what precautions they use.
What is safer sex?
Safer sex also means using a condom during sexual intercourse.
Using a condom is not absolutely safe as condoms can break, but
condoms can be effective if they are used correctly. To find out
more about this, see our
condoms page.
Oral sex (one person kissing, licking or sucking the sexual areas
of another person) does carry some risk of infection. If a person
sucks the penis of an infected man, for example, infected fluid
could get into the mouth. The virus could then get into the blood if
you have bleeding gums or tiny sores somewhere in the mouth. The
same is true if infected sexual fluids from a woman get into the
mouth of her partner. But infection from oral sex alone seems to be
very rare.
Can you get infected your first time?
Yes, if your partner has HIV and you have unsafe sex, then you
can become infected.
Is there a cure?
Unfortunately there is no cure for HIV. HIV is a virus, and no cure has been
found for any type of virus. Recently, doctors have been able to
control the virus once a person is infected, which means that a
person with HIV can stay healthy for longer, but they have not
managed to get rid of the virus in the body completely.
How can I tell if someone's infected with HIV?
There is no way to tell just by looking at someone whether they
are infected with HIV. Someone can be infected but have no symptoms
and still look perfectly healthy. They might also feel perfectly
healthy and not know themselves that they are infected. The only way
to know if a person is infected or not is if they have a blood test.
How can I get tested?
You may find it helpful to talk to an adult - perhaps a parent,
school nurse or teacher may be able to advise you where you can have
a test. There are details of help lines, clinics and testing centers
on our help and advice
page. It's much better to talk to someone than to worry on your own.
The clinic will suggest that you wait three months (or six in the
US) after your last risky sexual contact before having a test. This
is because the virus is difficult to detect immediately after
infection.
Will they tell my parents?
The clinics in different places have different policies. Most
(but not all) clinics have a confidentiality policy, and will not
tell anyone, although some places will want to bring a parent to
give consent. You can phone the clinic before you go and find out.
What will they do?
Before they do anything, the doctor or nurse will ask if you're
sure you want to have a test. They will usually take a sample of
blood from you to examine. If you also want to be tested for STD's,
they may take a urine sample, or they might ask if they can take a
swab from the vagina or penis. Some places can give you the results
on the same day, in other places you may have to wait for a week or
more. While you wait, you shouldn't have sexual contact with anyone.
I have HIV - what should I do?
If you have found that you have HIV, you will need to tell the
people who you have had sex with and anyone you have shared needles
with so that they can decide if they want to have a test. This can
be a very difficult thing to tell someone. If you think you can't
tell them, your doctor or nurse may be able to help you. Your doctor
at the clinic should also be able to give you more advice about how
to stay healthy. They will also be able to tell you if you need to
have any other blood tests done, and talk to you about medication.
Tequilla:" We scheduled an appointment and they told my mom to
bring me that week, so she did. We went to my appointment and the
people were very nice and respectful. They took me and my mom in a
room and they talked to me. They told me about all the medicine that
can keep me alive."
For more information check out these websites:
Avert
Avert.org provides comprehensive
information on HIV and AIDS. It gives information, help
hotlines, and has many of the answers to your questions about
HIV/AIDS.
Avert: Personal Stories of Young People with HIV
This webpage is part of the Avert website.
It provides real life stories from young people who are infected
with HIV and AIDS
MTV: thInk
MTV provides breaking news about
upcoming HIV/AIDS events, advances in HIV/AIDS research, and helps
inform young people about testing and prevention of HIV and AIDS.
KNOW
HIV/AIDS
This website provides young people
with information about HIV and AIDS. It also informs you about
the importance of testing for these diseases.
.
>HIV/AIDS
RESOURCES HOMEPAGE<
228 S. Muskogee Avenue Tahlequah, OK 74464
Telephone: 918-456-6094
Fax: 918-456-8128
Email:
peiron@niwhrc.org
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