HIV / AIDS PREVENTION FACTSHEET - September 1992
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Among adolescents reported with AIDS, older teens, males, and racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected. However, the proportion of females among U.S. adolescent cases has more than doubled, from 13 percent in 1987 to 34 percent in 1991.

AIDS Cases Among U.S. Adolescents (13-19 Years) Through December 1991, by Risk Category

Receipt of clotting factors 31% Men who have sex with men 25 Heterosexual injecting drug users 13 Heterosexual contact -- partners with HIV risk 12 Blood transfusion 7 Men who have sex with men/ injecting drug users 4 Birth in country with predominant heterosexual transmission 2 No identified transmission route 7

(Total > 100% because of rounding)

Given the small number of adolescents with AIDS, why are we so concerned about our youth? Because many American teenagers are engaging in behaviors that may put them at increased risk of acquiring HIV infection and AIDS. Studies indicate the average age of first sexual experience among U.S. adolescents is 16, and more than half (54.2 percent) of students in grades 9-12 participating in a 1990 CDC survey reported having sexual intercourse at least once in their lifetime; 19 percent of the students said they had already engaged in sex with four or more partners. Among the students surveyed who had sex in the 3 preceding months, 45 percent used a condom at last sexual intercourse. Of the students with four or more partners, 41 percent --even fewer-- used condoms.

In addition to these statistics on teenage sexual behavior, we also know that 1 in 70 high school students reports having injected an illegal drug.

Sexually Active* U.S. High School Students Reporting Condom Use During Last Sexual Intercourse, by Gender and Number of Lifetime Sex Partners -- 1990

1 - 3 > 4 ------ ------ Males 54.2 45.6 Females 44.3 29.2

*Students who reported having sexual intercourse during the 3 months preceding the survey.

Source: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

These are the behaviors that put young people at high risk of HIV infection; the sexual behaviors also put them at high risk for other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and unintended pregnancies.

What then are we doing to reach youth with HIV prevention messages and services? CDC has numerous HIV prevention programs targeted to youth through three primary avenues:

* School settings * Community-based and minority organizations * Programs for the general public

School-Based Programs

About one-fifth of the total U.S. population is in schools or colleges, providing an effective way to reach young people. School-based health education programs in the United States have had consistently positive effects in preventing high school students from using tobacco and from engaging in other dangerous risk behaviors.

Since 1987, CDC has provided direct assistance to schools to develop, implement, and evaluate HIV/AIDS education programs that meet locally determined standards. In 1988, only 17 states required such education; by 1990, the number of states requiring HIV education had increased to 32. CDC also helps train teachers, school administrators, and representatives from youth-serving community organizations from every state on the best ways to conduct HIV prevention education programs. CDC's Combined Health Information Database, which is accessible to any educator through the CDC National Prevention Information Network, provides information on nearly 1,000 curriculum guides, audiovisuals, and other relevant information for use in teaching young people about HIV infection and AIDS.

Community-Based Prevention Programs

Of course, not all youth can be reached through the schools. To teach teenagers and others not in school who may be at high risk for HIV infection, CDC funds (directly or through state and local health departments) HIV prevention activities by more than 500 community-based organizations. These efforts include street outreach; clinic-based education; counseling, testing, and referral programs; and programs that address the specific needs of runaway, incarcerated, migrant, homeless, and other youth in high-risk situations.

Public Information/ Education

The third way CDC targets prevention efforts for young people is through its public information and education campaign. CDC's National AIDS Information and Education Program includes a number of activities designed to educate all members of the public, including adolescents, about how HIV is transmitted, who is at risk of acquiring the infection, and how the infection can be prevented. This program includes the America Responds to AIDS, or ARTA, campaign; the CDC National AIDS Hotline; and the CDC National Prevention Information Network.

Research has shown that most Americans, including teenagers, are well educated about how HIV is transmitted and how they can avoid being infected. Therefore, confronting the belief that "it can't happen to me" was a primary goal of the most recent series of ARTA public service announcements. Previous phases of the public information campaign have included many youth-oriented materials. In 1989, CDC launched a special education effort called "Parents and Youth" designed to help parents, teachers, and other concerned adults talk to children about HIV and AIDS. The educational materials from that campaign, including a brochure called "The AIDS Prevention Guide," are still available to anyone who requests them from the CDC National AIDS Hotline.

For additional information about HIV infection and AIDS, call the CDC National AIDS Hotline at 1-800-342-AIDS (English), 1-800-344-SIDA (Spanish), or 1-800-AIDS-TTY (Deaf).