HIV

• HIV, or Human Immunodeficiency Virus, attacks the body's defenses by damaging or destroying the cells of the immune system.
• HIV progresses over time, making the body less and less able to fight off infection and certain types of cancer.
• It finally causes AIDS, or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, after an average of about 10 years in the body.
• AIDS is the most advanced stage of the infection. Bacteria and viruses that out body will normally fight off can cause life-threatening infections in people with AIDS.
• There is no cure for HIV, but there are a variety of treatments and strategies that can help HIV positive people live much longer and healthier than ever before
• One fifth of all U.S. AIDS cases are in people 20—29, which means they almost certainly caught HIV in their teen years.

• Most teens who were recently infected got the virus by having sex. Vaginal, oral and anal sex can all spread HIV...
  • About half of HIV positive teen females were infected by heterosexual sex (sex with men).
  • About half of HIV positive teen males were infected by homosexual sex (sex with men).
  • The rest were infected at childbirth, and a very small number by sharing needles.
  • If you are infected with another STD, the chance of getting HIV from an HIV infected partner is 3 to 9 times greater because of the presence of sores or white blood cells which allow the virus easier entry into the body.
• HIV is found in 4 body fluids: blood, semen, vaginal fluid and breast milk. It is NOT in saliva, urine, tears, or feces.
• Babies born to HIV positive mothers who are not being treated have a 1 in 3 or 4 chance of getting HIV before or during birth and through breast milk.
• Tatoo & body piercing needles may be contaminated, unless they are disposable or sterilized.

• HIV is not spread by biting insects like mosquitoes, lice or bedbugs.
• Because of careful screening and heat treatments of all donated blood, the risk of getting HIV through a blood transfusion is extremely small.
• HIV is not spread through causal contact, i.e. sharing a glass of water or a piece of pizza, kissing, toilet seats, etc.

• Abstaining from sexual activity and sharing needles is the best way to protect yourself from HIV.
• If you do decide to be sexually active, do it safely and responsibly. Have sex with only one partner who will only have sex with you, and will only have sex with you, and always use a condom for protection from HIV and other STIs.
• If you use needles, they must always be new or sterilized.

• Most people have no clue that they have HIV until they get tested or start to get symptoms of AIDS.
• Some people do get a flu-like illness within a month or two of infection. These symptoms include: fever, headache, tiredness, and enlarged lymph glands.
• This is often mistaken for some other viral infection, and it goes away on its own. This is a time, however, when large amounts of the virus are present in the genital fluids and can be spread more easily.
• The best way to tell if you have HIV infection is to come in and have a test.
• Since some people can take up to 6 months after infection before a test will show a positive result, it is important to repeat the test if necessary to be sure.
• Most teens find it hard to believe that something like HIV infection could ever happen to them.
• Sometimes that can cause teens to do risky behaviors, delay getting HIV testing and, if they are positive, to delay or refuse treatment.

Call us at West Suburban Teen Clinic if you have any questions about HIV or any other topics that affect teens and young adults. We are here to help.