Jonathan N. Dukes December 1, 1999 Health 6th Period Ms. J Thesis: The AIDS and HIV viruses are getting worse in the United States and the rest of the world. Introduction Although more people die of heart disease and cancer each year, AIDS has become the health problem people fear the most. Much of the fear comes from ignorance and misunderstanding. Education is the most effective tool against AIDS. It is more important than ever for young people to learn the facts about AIDS. Many teenagers don't know anyone who has AIDS. It is hard for them to believe they are at risk. It is a fact that the incidence of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases is on a rapid rise among teens and people in their early twenties (Silverstein). People frequently ask the questions, "How is HIV spread, what should I do if I think I may be infected with HIV, and how can people avoid getting AIDS?" In this paper I will try my best to make it clearer for those who have any doubt about their know!
             ledge of HIV and AIDS and answering the questions above. Modes of Transmission Today, the two diseases, HIV & AIDS, are rapidly increasing all over the United States. HIV is spread through the exchange of bodily fluids, primarily blood, semen, and blood products. HIV that is present in the sexual secretions of infected men and women gains access to the bloodstream of an uninfected person as a result of unprotected sex. Another way that a person can be infected is by sharing needles or syringes that results in direct exposure to the blood of an infected individual. This is common among people using drugs that are injected in the veins (Folks 4). HIV can also be transmitted from an infected mother to her baby, before or during childbirth, or through breast-feeding. Studies also show that only 25 to 35 percent of babies born to HIV-infected mothers worldwide actually become infected. This type of transmission accounts for 90 percent of all cases of AIDS in children...