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HIV/AIDS Educational Unit
"I found out that I had HIV in 1991. I believe I got the infection from an ex-girlfriend who I now know slept around during our relationship. During this time I was only sixteen."

"I contracted HIV from a bisexual man. I was about 18 years old, and various people warned me that he was high risk, but being 18, I thought I was invincible. After all, I didn't know anyone that had it, and that kind of stuff only happens to other people."

"The pain that I feel, the anger, the hurt - I don’t want anybody else to go through this. Nobody deserves this disease. I don’t care who they are or what they did. Nobody deserves to go through what I have been through. Nobody."

These words were spoken by young adults living with HIV and AIDS. Sadly, these people represent one of the fastest-growing groups of HIV and AIDS  patients. Recent statistics from the Office of National AIDS Policy show two Americans under the age of 20 are infected with HIV every hour of every day. Further, young adults aged 13 to 21 will account for one-quarter of all new HIV infections in the United States. These numbers prove that teenagers should become informed about HIV and AIDS,  including how the disease is spread and how infection can be prevented. This unit will help students prepare a handbook that contains all this information.

Before beginning the unit, take an HIV/AIDS quiz to find out how much -- or little -- you already know about the disease.

How did you do? If you did well, that's great! This unit will help you better protect yourself from HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. If you did poorly, this unit could help save your life. Let's begin creating our HIV/AIDS handbook.

Throughout this unit, you'll see a number of terms that may not be familiar to you or that you may know by another name. To find out what these terms mean, visit a glossary of HIV and AIDS terms that was prepared specifically for teenagers. Look up the definitions of the following terms and record them on a sheet of paper.

Now that you know what some of the key terms mean, let's discuss HIV and AIDS and how it can be transmitted.

At the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, very little was known about the disease. As a result, many people were unable to safeguard themselves against contracting it. We now know what AIDS does to the body, what causes it, and how it can be transmitted. On a sheet of paper, answer the following questions after reading AIDS & Young People. Despite this knowledge, new HIV and AIDS cases continue to occur. Let's look at some recent statistics to determine the impact this disease has on society.

Many young people think that HIV and AIDS can't happen to them. Guess what? That's wrong -- HIV and AIDS can happen to anyone. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention keeps track of all reported HIV and AIDS cases. Statistics are broken down by age, race, geography, and exposure. To get a better idea of how many young people are living with this disease, print a copy of the AIDS Statistics Table and visit the CDC to fill it out. In addition, answer the following questions below the table: To help prevent you from becoming a statistic, let's talk about ways to prevent HIV and AIDS infection.

HIV and AIDS poses a very real threat to the safety of young adults. However, there are steps that teens can take to eliminate or lessen their chances of infection. In your handbook, write down the five important ways teens can avoid HIV/AIDs.

If you have any questions or need more information, ask a parent, an older sibling, a teacher, or anyone else you trust. Information is the best defense against this disease, so the more the know, the better.


Now that we've discussed HIV/AIDS, how it's transmitted, and the steps you can take to prevent infection, it's time to test what you've learned. Retake the HIV/AIDS quiz without referring to your handbook.

How did you do? Hopefully better than the first time you took the quiz. If not, either retake the unit or read through your handbook. Remember, this information won't do you any good if you don't incorporate it into your life.

For more information on HIV/AIDS and young adults, visit the following Web sites. Write down the addresses in your handbook so you can visit them in the future if you have any questions.

HIT Squad
Kids CAN!
National Pediatric AIDS Network
Pedro Zamora Foundation
Teens AIDSline
TeenAIDS PeerCorp