American Public Health

¶ … teenage AIDS. The writer explores the topic and presents some of the statistics as well as programs in the fight against teenage AIDS in the U.S. There were four sources used to complete this paper. The AIDS epidemic continues to ravage the nation though the targeted growth areas are shifting. At one time it was considered a gay man's disease, then it shifted to be an adult disease.

Today there is a growing teen population contacting the disease and efforts are underway to educate and eradicate the disease among the youth of the nation. The incidence of teen AIDS is growing. The median period for the disease to incubate before showing itself is 10 years, which means there are many more infected that the medical community is aware of. In many teens and young adults it will not produce symptoms until the person is in their adult life, and have had a chance to infect many others (AIDS, 1994).

Today, 25% of all new reported AIDS cases are among people between the ages of 13 and 21, Johnson said (Groves, 1998). Two young people are infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, every hour of every day (Groves, 1998)." One of the issues involved in the fight against teenage AIDS is the fact that they believe they are invincible. Teenagers are in a precarious position because they believe they will live forever, and that by the time they have to worry about it a cure will be found.

It is also a disease that worsens the teen numbers because of the fact that teens think they can tell by looking who does and who does not have AIDS. It is the unfortunate combination of cockiness, immaturity and freedom that place teens at a tremendous risk for the disease to strike. Teenagers believe each other. They are old enough to choose to become sexually active yet they are too young to have become jaded from being lied to before.

This creates a killing field of AIDS in teens because they don't believe they should be careful with those they know. Teenagers must be targeted now for AIDS testing and "aggressive treatment" because "adolescents will continue to be infected with this disease until immunization is distributed. And that will take years, even if we get a vaccine today (Groves, 1998)." Recent studies show there has been a 12% increase in the incidences of teens testing positive for AIDS.

While other studies show a decrease in the incidence of AIDS nation wide teens are still having unprotected sex. The treatment of AIDS in teens is not as prevalent as it could be because the teens are not getting tested until they have symptoms which could be delayed by ten years. The disease lays dormant in the body for a number of years, and teens are not coming in and getting tested the way they should be.

This causes the spread to continue because infected teens are having sex without realizing they are infected. The numbers of teens reported to have AIDS cannot be relied on either because of the fact that they do not seek treatment until they get sick. "More than 60% of people with AIDS in their 20s and 30s probably were infected with HIV as teenagers, and more than 80% of smokers took up the habit as youngsters. Adolescence is when the behavior starts. It's a time of experimentation, of taking risks.

Teenagers don't think of tomorrow. They think of themselves as invulnerable (Groves, 1998)." WHAT IS BEING DONE There are programs across the nation being implemented for the purpose of slowing the progress of AIDS among teens. Peer pressure and peer leadership have proven to be valuable tools in the fight against AIDS. Programs around the country are setting up peer groups to counsel teens about the illness. Peer counseling is comprised of other teens, some with AIDS and some without.

The teens have a chance to ask questions and learn the latest facts about the disease before becoming engaged in high risk behaviors. Many teens are not aware that oral sex can spread AIDS and they mistakenly think if they stick with oral sex they cannot get sick. This is one of the many fallacies about AIDS that pervade the American teenage population. Prevention programs are working to get the word to teens that abstinence is the only sure way to be risk free.

Another important factor to slowing the progress of teen AIDS infection is to educate them on how to stay safe (Mueller, 2000). Using condoms is a method of reducing risk, but it does not remove the risk. Many teenagers believe that using a condom protects them but they are not aware of.