AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome; a disease caused by a virus called HIV.  This virus enters a person’s body in three ways.  One way is by being born to a mother who is infected with the virus.  The second way is by sharing a needle that has already been used by someone who has the virus.  And the third way is through vaginal or anal intercourse.  Regardless of how someone becomes infected with the virus, the time between infection and the development of full blown AIDS varies from person to person and many times no symptoms are present.

     Once the virus is in the body, it goes into the white blood cells and the other parts of the body.  White blood cells help fight off diseases.  The AIDS virus can live in the white blood cells for months or years before it begins to do damage.  A person can be infected with the virus, have no symptoms, and not even know he or she is infected.  Although it may take years before a person is sick, the HIV antibody can be found in the blood through a blood test just a few months after infection.  Because the white blood cells are eventually destroyed, a person is no longer protected from a variety of illnesses such as cancers and infections.

      An estimated 1 - 1 ½ million people in the United States are infected with the virus but so far have not developed any illness and as many as ten to twelve thousand people in Hawaii may be infected.  The number of AIDS cases is increasing and there is NO cure.  AIDS is the 4^th leading cause of death of women in childbearing age and is rapidly approaching the #1 cause of death.  AIDS is currently the number one killer of men aged 24 - 44.

      If young people are thinking of having sex, they should ask themselves if it is worth the risk.  Are there other ways that you and your boyfriend or girlfriend can express affection and sexual feelings?  Talk together about this honestly.  If your partner really cares, he or she will respect what you have to say.

      If a person becomes sexually active, there are some things he or she should do to decrease the chances of becoming infected with the AIDS virus.  The fewer sexual partners a person has, the less likely he or she will get HIV.  Do not have sex with someone who has ever shared needles or who has had a lot sexual partners.  Of course, a sexual partner may not tell you what they have done in the past or what they are doing now secretly, so this may not be a very reliable way to choose a partner.

     People who have vaginal, anal, or oral sex should always use a latex condom every time they have sex and from the beginning to the end of sexual activity.  Remember, it is easier to say, “I’m worried about AIDS or STI’s and want to use a condom” than it is to worry about AIDS or Sexually Transmitted Infections for the rest of your life.  Because condoms can break and infection occur, the only sure way to be safe is to practice abstinence.

      People who use drugs should not share needles.  It is also important not to share needles when making tattoos.  Although it is extremely risky, people who do share needles should clean them in bleach between uses.

      Anyone who thinks they might be infected with the AIDS virus should consider getting a blood test to check for antibodies to the AIDS virus.  Anyone who has the virus can spread the infection to others.  As treatment for AIDS improves, early diagnosis and medical care can help an infected person live longer and healthier, even if there is no cure.

     This may all sound pretty scary, but there are many ways a person CANNOT get AIDS.  Here are a few: 

• One cannot get AIDS from infected people by touching them, using their towels, sitting on toilet seats they have used, or their sneezes.
• You cannot get it by sitting next to them in class or by swimming in the same pool as them.
• One cannot get AIDS from being a blood donor, that is, from giving blood for others to use. When blood is donated, sterile, disposable needles are used every time.
• Sexual contact, sharing needles or sharing infected blood are the only ways a person can get AIDS from an AIDS infected person.

       And remember if you know someone who has AIDS; do not avoid that person.  He or she cannot give you the disease through causal contact.  But you can give that person the friendship and understanding that will make it easier for them to deal with this disease.

       For further information on AIDS, please call the AIDS Hotline at 922-1313 (Oahu).