HIV/AIDS in the United States

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- Grades:
- Length: Variable
Overview
Students read an essay about misperceptions related to HIV/AIDS and use statistical data to create presentations on the impacts of HIV/AIDS in the United States.
The essay portion of the activity contains stark facts that may be difficult to absorb. Depending upon students’ grade and maturity levels, the essay may be used as teacher background information instead of student reading material. The activity is most appropriate for use with students in grades 6-12.
This activity is from The Science of HIV/AIDS Teacher's Guide. The guide also is available in print format.
This work was developed in partnership with the Baylor-UT Houston Center for AIDS Research, an NIH-funded program.
- Teacher
Background - Objectives and Standards
- Materials and
Setup - Procedure and
Extensions - Handouts and
Downloads
Teacher Background
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that more than one million people in the United States are living with HIV. About one in five (21%) of these people are unaware of their HIV-positive status. It is not surprising, then, that each year, upwards of 56,000 more Americans become infected with HIV. And despite improved medications, more than 18,000 people in the U.S. die each year from AIDS-related causes.
The burdens of HIV/AIDS are not distributed equally across all segments of the U.S. population. Among racial/ethnic groups, African Americans face the highest rates of infection. Hispanics/Latinos also have a disproportionately large representation among the population of Americans living with HIV/AIDS.
Unfortunately, many young people do not understand how HIV is transmitted or treated. This lack of knowledge, when combined with alcohol and/or drug use, can be especially dangerous for adolescents, who are more likely to engage in high-risk behaviors, such as unprotected sex, when they are “under the influence.” Improving students’ basic knowledge, understanding of risks, and decision-making skills can help reduce rates of teen pregnancy and infection by STDs, including HIV. In this activity, students will discuss common misconceptions and truths about HIV/AIDS, and will examine authentic CDC data about the epidemic in our country.
Content Advisory
See the following resources for additional information about HIV/AIDS and advice for discussing HIV/AIDS with students.
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National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), offers resources on understanding HIV/AIDS: niaid.nih.gov/topics/hivaids/ and aidsinfo.nih.gov.
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National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH, offers facts about drug abuse and the link between it and HIV/AIDS: hiv.drugabuse.gov.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides up-to-date information on HIV/AIDS prevention: cdc.gov/hiv/topics.
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