Young People Do Get AIDS
Many people think that young people don't get AIDS. That's not true. AIDS can affect anyone -- of any age, of any ethnic or racial background -- who engages in behavior with an infected person that can transmit HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
As of spring 1989, more than 18,000 people aged 20-29 have been diagnosed with AIDS. Because a person can be infected with the virus that causes AIDS for as long as 10 or more years before the signs of AIDS appear, a significant number of these young people would have been infected when they were teenagers. .
Many teens engage in behaviors that increase their risk of becoming infected. Adults sometimes have no idea that the young people they know may be having sexual intercourse or experimenting with intravenous (IV) drugs. These activities can increase their risk of infection with the virus that causes AIDS.
All young people need to know about AIDS and the specific actions they can take to protect themselves and their loved ones from becoming infected. Let's begin with the basics.
What is AIDS?
AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, a disease in which the body's immune system breaks down. The immune system fights off infections and certain other diseases. Because the system fails, a person with AIDS develops a variety of life-threatening illnesses.
. Some Disturbing Facts
Surveys have found that:
 | the average age for a girl in the United States to have sexual intercourse for the first time is 16. The average age for a boy is 15.5. |
| it is estimated that 2.5 million teens are infected with sexually transmitted diseases (venereal diseases -- VD) each year. The virus that causes AIDS is sexually transmitted. |
| 60 percent of all American high school senior have used illegal drugs. Some of these drugs are injected. The virus that causes AIDS is spread through the sharing of IV drug needles or syringes. |
AIDS is caused by HIV infection
AIDS is caused by the virus called the human immunodeficiency virus, of HIV. A virus is a small germ that can cause disease.
If HIV enters your bloodstream, you may become infected with HIV. A special blood test can detect HIV infection.
A person who is infected can infect others, even if no symptoms are present. You cannot tell by looking at someone whether he or she is infected with HIV. AN infected person can appear completely health.
Even when no symptoms are visible, however, 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, a form 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.
No one will develop AIDS unless he or she has been infected with HIV. By preventing HIV infection, we can prevent AIDS.