Teenagers' Risks in Acquiring AIDS - Saliva Or Semen Transmission is More Prone?

What is AIDS? AIDS is a short cut for acquired immune deficiency syndrome. It is a collection of infections and symptoms pertaining to the specific damage of the immune system. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) causes AIDS in humans as well as similar viruses in other species (FIV, SIV, etc).

Although there are available treatments and medication for AIDS and HIV, they are only good for decelerating the progression of the virus. For short, there is no known cure for AIDS.

HIV and other viruses related with AIDS are commonly transmitted through the direct contact of the bloodstream or mucous membrane with any bodily fluid containing HIV such as semen, vaginal fluid, blood, breast milk and pre-seminal fluid. HIV transmission may come in the forms of oral, anal and vaginal sex, contaminated hypodermic needles, blood transfusion, fluid exchange between mother and baby during pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding.

Teenagers who are sexually active are prone to be at risk for AIDS, especially if they have different sexual partners. The risk of teenagers getting AIDS becomes higher if they don't practice safe sex.

Studies have shown that most of the reported HIV infections among teenagers were acquired through unsafe and unprotected sexual relations between partners, one of whom has HIV. Transmission through sexual means occur through the mixture of sexual secretions of one partner with the genital, rectal, or oral mucous membranes of another.

The risk of HIV transmission from exposure to the saliva of a person infected with HIV is smaller than the risk from exposure to semen. In short, insertive sexual acts are more prone to AIDS transmission among teens rather than receptive sexual acts. An individual would have to swallow several pitchers of saliva from an HIV carrier before he or she can have the risk of becoming infected with HIV.

Nowadays, it's a bit difficult to stop teenagers from engaging in premarital sex. Perhaps the best way to protect them from acquiring HIV is to constantly remind them to practice safe sex.

A lot of advertisements are promoting safe sex through the use of condoms. Practicing the ABC (Abstinence, Being Faithful and Condom use) of safe sex can also help protect teenagers from AIDS.