This week I was still thinking about QOTW #9 and wondering how many children get infected in the United States and how. I was actually surprised that the numbers were not higher. In 2000, the number of new infections in children under 13 was just over 100 (HIVinfosource.org, 2009). In June 2001, the number of new infections in children between the ages of 13-19 was approximately 4,219 (HIVinfosource.org, 2009). In children under 13, the transmission usually occurs through birth or breastfeeding. Very few infections in the United States are due to blood transfusions, because the blood in the US is screened. Other countries cannot afford to screen their blood, so transfusion infections are still prominent in those countries. In children between 13-19, most of the infections are due to sexual intercourse and some to IV drug use. (HIVinfosource.org, 2009).
The QOTW this week was about different measures that other countries are trying to take against people with HIV. It made me think about HIV education. I think that the spread of HIV could be decreased if the people were more educated. I think people are scared of what they don't know.
I will be attending the Men's panel next Wednesday and am excited about it. I look forward to hearing about their experiences and things they go through.
http://www.hivinfosource.org/hivis/hivbasics/children/index.html
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It is somewhat unreal to think that young children ages 13-19 were becoming infected through sexual intercourse. I certainly hope that the numbers are small for those ages 13, 14, and 15, but know that in reality children are having sex at younger and younger ages. I don't think these young children could even understand the concept of safe sex or using a condom. How to help this age group is a challenge. I agree with you that people are afraid of what they don't know.
ReplyDeleteI come from a very small town and I could not possibly imagine anyone that I grew up with having HIV. I guess as times change, so does the possibility to contract the virus. It is such a great thing that mothers can actually not pass on the virus to their children with the proper medication. I think as time goes on, hopefully we can totally prevent this virus from ever working its way into our youth population. I still think that in our lifetime we will eventually see the end of the entire AIDS epidemic. I would think that the true research has only come about in the last 20 years, and in that time we have come quite a long way. Who knows where we will be in another 20?
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