Facts About Teens and AIDS

HIV/AIDS is a global health concern that can affect people of all ages. Teens are of an age when they may engage in risk behaviors of transmission for the first time, and they should take steps to protect themselves and others.

Transmission

• Teens are at risk from contracting HIV through unprotected vaginal, anal and oral sex, and through sharing drug parapheralia, including hypodermic needles and crack pipes.

Prevention

• Teens should use condoms for penetrative sex and fellatio and dental dams for cunnilingus to reduce the risk of sexual transmission. Drug paraphernalia should be sterilized and not shared.

Testing

• Teens who believe they have been exposed to HIV should seek out testing (see Resources to locate HIV testing sites). Teens should be aware that some testing centers may require a parent's consent for testing.

Prevalence

• There are 2 million people under the age of 15 who are HIV-positive, according to Avert.org. Infection rates for teens are lower than in other age groups, but these rates have also held steady in recent years, according to the CDC.

Education

• Educational resources about HIV/AIDS depend on state laws regarding sex education in schools.