SWYS - 1997 HIV AIDS
Issues
HIV AIDS Issues Affect Grant County Teens
AIDS is now the primary killer of men aged 25-44 years in the
United States and is the fourth-leading cause of death among
women 25-44 years according to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention. The cumulative number of AIDS cases is
expected to quadruple by the year 2,000 and the number of HIV
infections is rising nearly four times as fast in women as in
men. Although men with AIDS outnumber women about 8 to 1, among
adolescents the ratio is less than 3 to 1.
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus and can be transmitted
only through infected blood, semen, vaginal fluid and more rarely
breast milk or saliva. It is however, primarily transmitted
through sexual activity and sharing needles. HIV is the
virus which causes AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). At
this time there is no immunization against the virus or cure
for AIDS.
Part of the Teen Assessment Project (SWYS) survey of over 2,800
Grant County youth looked at ways and degrees to which teens
are putting themselves at risk for contracting HIV, the virus
which causes AIDS. Five factors were considered when evaluating
HIV risk among 7th - 12th grade students: participation in sexual
intercourse, use of shared needles, the presence of sexually
transmitted disease, multiple sex partners and inconsistent condom
use.
The report of shared needle use among Grant County teens was
relatively low (5% of all students). Most teens who place
themselves at risk for HIV infection do so through sexual behavior. Twenty-nine
percent of Grant County teens report having had sexual intercourse. What
we know is that those young adults who are diagnosed with AIDS
in their early-mid twenties most likely contracted the virus
in their teen years. The Grant County SWYS data suggest
that some teens are making choices which could be putting them
at great risk.
While abstinence is the only 100% guaranteed prevention for
sexual transmission of HIV, we know that consistent condom use
has a high degree of reliability in preventing the sexual transmission
of the virus is the use of condoms. In order to be effective,
condoms must be used consistently and correctly. Thirty-eight
percent of sexually active teens reported consistent condom use,
leaving nearly two-thirds of sexually active teens at higher
risk.
Having multiple partners increases the risk of contracting HIV
(and sexually transmitted disease). The Grant County SWYS
survey found that four out of ten sexually active teens (41%)
report only one partner while over one quarter (28%) report four
or more partners. This was true at all grade levels. Seven
percent of all sexually active teens report having had a sexually
transmitted disease.
After looking at all the risk factors individually, the survey compiled
the findings to see how many teens had various combinations of risk factors. Seventy-two
percent of all teens surveyed indicated the presence of no risk factors. When
we look at the group of sexually active teens, two percent had all five risk
factors present.
The SWYS survey asked teens several questions about meaningful
conversations they have with their parents on a variety of subjects. Nearly
three-fourths of all students (74%) have never or rarely had
a discussion with a parent about whether it is okay for teenagers
to have sex. and even more (80%) indicate never or rarely
discussing birth control. Teens report both parents are
slightly more likely to discuss the dangers or risks of HIV or
AIDS than to discuss birth control.
The SWYS data clearly indicate a strong relationship between
parent communication and monitoring and student participation
in risk behaviors. Parents who monitor their child's behavior
more closely and who communicate more clearly are more likely
to have teens who do not participate in alcohol and drug use
or sexual intercourse. When parents who do not approve
of teens engaging in these behaviors communicate those family
values clearly, their children are far more likely to abstain
from these behaviors.
Discussing the dangers or risks of getting HIV or AIDS is difficult
for many parents and yet may be one of the most important pieces
of information their teen needs. For more information about
HIV/AIDS, talking to your child about sexuality, or to arrange
parent meetings on these topics, contact Nancy Stoutenborough,
Grant County Family Living Educator/Office Chair or Tom Schmitz,
Grant County 4-H/Youth Agent at 723-2125.
Return to 1997 Survey Results
Tom
Schmitz, Grant/Lafayette County Youth Development Educator
Youth and Agriculture Center P.O. Box 31, Lancaster, WI 53813
Phone: 608-723-2125 Fax: 608:723-4315
E-mail: thomas.schmitz@ces.uwex.edu |
