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HIV Testing - What Teens Need to Know

HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. It is critical that teens and young adults be educated about this virus as it affects thousands of youth, ages 13-24. And a significant part of this education includes an understanding about the need for sexually active teens and young adults to be routinely tested for HIV. 

Some facts and stats on how HIV:

  • In 2005, an estimated 5,172 young people ages 13-24 were diagnosed with HIV or AIDS. This is 14% of the people diagnosed that year.
  • African American young people are disproportionately affected by HIV. From 2001-2005, in the 33 states with long-term, confidential name-based HIV reporting, African Americans accounted for 60% of HIV diagnoses in people ages 13-24.
  • The presence of a sexually transmitted disease (STD) greatly increases a person’s likelihood of acquiring or transmitting HIV. Some of the highest STD rates in the country are among young people, especially young people of minority races and ethnicities.
  • There are more than 1 million people in the United States living with HIV – and 25% of them do not even know that they are HIV-infected.
  • The only sure way to know if you are HIV positive is to get tested. You cannot rely on physical appearance or other various signs and symptoms, as some people infected with HIV might not have any visible signs for up to 10 years. Someone can look and feel perfectly healthy and can still be infected with HIV and able to infect others.

 

These facts and statistics make it clear on how important it is for teens and young adults to be tested routinely for HIV. In fact, the CDC recommends that all Americans, ages 13-64, be routinely tested for HIV as part of their regular health care practice. This is because once people know that they are HIV-positive, they are more likely to seek medical care for themselves and to take the necessary precautions to protect others from becoming infected. 

Many people are scared to get tested because the fear that being told they have HIV means they are going to get sick and die. However, while there is no cure for HIV, new drugs are available that can help you to stay healthy and decrease the amount of HIV virus in your body. 

 

So what is the HIV test and what does it involve? 

The HIV test detects whether or not you have been exposed to the HIV virus. There are several different kinds of tests, including blood tests, urine tests, and oral (mouth) tests. Only a very small amount of blood is needed for the blood tests. HIV tests can take a few days to 2 weeks for results, or with rapid HIV tests you can get results in about 20 minutes. And free and confidential testing is available – so there really is no excuse not to go.

 

Preventing the spread of HIV:

Adolescents and young adults definitely have the power to help stop the spread of HIV by doing the following:

  • Be safe. The best way to prevent HIV is to abstain from having sex. If you do have sex, use a new latex condom every time you have vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Never share needles or syringes.
  • Talk about it. Talk about sex and HIV with your partners and friends. Make HIV and HIV-testing less of a taboo topic by bringing it into the conversation more. Find out when partners or potential partners were last tested for HIV and what their status was. Be clear that you will be having safer sex or none at all.
  • Talk to your doctor. If you are sexually active, you should speak with your primary care physician or adolescent medicine specialist about getting tested for HIV.

 

For more information:

FX recommends that you learn more about HIV/AIDS and what you can do to promote HIV testing and to prevent the further spread of this disease by using the following resources:

      This information gateway provides access to information on Federal HIV/AIDS         

      prevention, testing, treatment, and research efforts.

      This website offers resources on HIV testing, including a national database of           

      HIV testing sites and answers to many questions about HIV/AIDS testing. This     

      website is a service of the CDC.

  • 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636)

      Information about personal risk and where to get an HIV test. 

      CDC HIV/AIDS resources

      Resources on HIV/AIDS treatment and clinical trials. 

 

If you don't have a doctor and live in northern New Jersey, you can call the Adolescent/Young Adult Center for Health at 973-971-6475 for an appointment or contact your local teen health center or Planned Parenthood.