Download OCTOBER is NATIONAL HIV/AIDS AWARENESS MONTH

We are all aware that HIV/AIDS is an
international epidemic. Everyone is affected
by it. As college students, we must be aware
of the FACTS and what we can do to
PREVENT the transmission of AIDS.
OCTOBER IS NATIONAL
HIV/AIDS AWARENESS
MONTH
The Hard Facts
 U.N. AIDS estimates that there are now over 34
million people living with HIV or AIDS worldwide.
 In the U.S., nearly one million people have HIV or
AIDS.
 At least 40,000 Americans become newly
infected with HIV each year, and it is estimated
that half of all people with HIV in the U.S. do not
know they are carrying the virus.
 AIDS has killed nearly 19 million people
worldwide, including some 425,000 Americans.
The Hard Facts
 AIDS is the fourth leading cause of death
worldwide.
 Over 13 million children have been orphaned by
the epidemic.
 In western countries, women are four times
more likely to contract HIV through vaginal sex
with infected males than vice versa.
 Having another sexually transmitted infection
(STI) can increase your risk of acquiring and
transmitting HIV. People with STIs are three to
five times more likely to contract or transmit the
virus through sexual contact.
How HIV is transmitted
 An HIV-infected person carries the virus in
certain body fluids, including blood, semen,
vaginal secretions, and breast milk
 HIV can be transmitted only if such HIVinfected fluids enter the bloodstream of
another person, either through the linings of
the vagina, rectum, mouth, and the opening
at the tip of the penis, through intravenous
injection with a syringe, or through a break in
the skin, such as a cut or sore.
How HIV is not transmitted
 Food or air
 Coughing or sneezing
 Sharing eating utensils or bathroom facilities
 Hugging or kissing
 Giving blood
HOW TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF HIV
 First and foremost, abstaining from
intercourse and other forms of sex is the MOST
EFFECTIVE way to protect yourself from HIV
and all sexually transmitted infections.
 If you are sexually active, protect yourself from
HIV infection by practicing safer sex. Whenever
you have sex, use a condom or "dental dam" (a
square of latex recommended for use during
oral-genital and oral-anal sex). When used
properly and consistently, condoms are
extremely effective.
A Great Resource and the Source for all HIV
information www.thebody.com
The University Health Center is a GREAT resource when it comes to
sexual health. You have NO EXCUSE to not be smart with resources like
these on campus.
Check out www.health.umd.edu or call x4-8180 for more information.
*** Free condoms at the Health Center! ***
SEXUAL HEALTH AT MARYLAND
The Sexual Health and Reproductive
Education (S.H.A.R.E.) Program
 Offers workshops in the residence halls and
for campus organizations
 Workshops are run by Peer Educators to
make the experience as comfortable as
possible
 Information on everything from
contraceptive methods to pap smears
The Men's Sexual Health Program
 Offers one-on-one counseling to male
students
 Topics include counseling about STDs, safer
sex practices, testicular cancer, prostate
cancer, and sexual performance issues
Maggi Bridwell Center for
Women's Health
 Annual and routine Gyn care
 Pregnancy Counseling
 Emergency Contraceptive Pill
 Birth Control
 Sexually Transmitted Infection testing
 For more info, call x4-8190
BOTTOM LINE: PRACTICE ABSTINENCE OR SAFE SEX TO PREVENT
CONTRACTING STIs!
SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED
INFECTIONS (STI)
Facts and Statistics
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One in five people in the United States has an STI
Two-thirds of all STIs occur in people 25 years of age or younger
Cervical cancer in women is linked to Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
Hepatitis B is 100 times more infectious than HIV
STIs, other than HIV, cost about $8 billion each year to diagnose and
treat
One in five Americans have genital herpes, yet at least 80 percent of
those with herpes are unaware they have it
At least one in four Americans will contract an STI at some point in their
lives
HPV is the most common STI in the United States
More than 5 million people are infected with HPV each year
Less than half of adults ages 18-44 have ever been tested for an STI
other than HIV/AIDS
At least 15 percent of all infertile American women are infertile because
of tubal damage caused by pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), the result
of an untreated STI
Two-thirds of Hepatitis B (HBV) infections are transmitted sexually and
are linked to chronic liver disease, including cirrhosis and liver cancer.