Children Infected & Affected by

HIV/ AIDS

Youth Advocate Program International

4545 42nd St. NW, Suite 209
Washington DC 20016, USA
www.yapi.org

HIV/AIDS

What Do You

Know?

What is HIV? What is AIDS?

How is the disease transmitted?
In what part of the world is
HIV/AIDS most prevalent?
Who is vulnerable to contracting
HIV/AIDS?

"Helping kids
understand about
AIDS is the most
important thing I do.
Some kids like to
pretend that it's not
happening in the
world. By letting them
know what's really
going on, I might save
someone's life."
Hydeia L. Broadbent
AIDS patient and activist.

HIV/AIDS

Terms to Know

HIV:

the Human Immunodeficiency Virus is a

retrovirus that attacks the cells of the immune
system. HIV is transmitted through an exchange of
bodily fluids (eg. exposure to infected blood,
during sexual activity with an infected individual,
by sharing needles). It can also pass from an
infected mother to her child. HIV is the virus that
eventually causes AIDS.

AIDS:

an Acquired Immune Deficiency

Syndrome diagnosis is made when symptoms that
indicate the disease (primarily a decrease in the
number of immune system cells in a persons
bloodstream) are identified by a doctor in a HIVpositive person.

HIV/AIDS

Terms to Know

CRC:

the Convention on the Rights of the

Child is an international treaty that recognizes
the human rights of the children, defined as
persons up to the age of 18 years. It ensure the
rights to survival, development, protection and
participation of all children without
discrimination.

CSEC:

[Commercial Sexual Exploitation of

Children] comprises sexual abuse by the adult
and remuneration in cash or kind to the child or
a third person or persons. The child is treated as
a sexual object and as a commercial object.
(World Conference Against CSEC)

HIV/AIDS

Basic Facts

Every minute five people around the world between the ages of 10 and 24 are
infected with HIV.
There are 2.5 million children under the age of 15 living with the disease
worldwide.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, the majority of new infections occurs among young
people between the ages of 15 and 24.
Of the 3 million who died of AIDS in 2003, 500,000 were children.
The total number of children orphaned by AIDS 13.2 million as of 2001 is
expected to more than double by 2010.
Source: UNAIDS. <www.unaids.org> (April 29, 2004).
Source: UNAIDS, AIDS Epidemic Update: December 2003, p.3.
Source: UNICEF, Young People and HIV/AIDS: Opportunity in Crisis, p.6 [publication on-line] www.unicef.org/publictions/pub_youngpeople_hivaids_en.pdf
17, 2004).
Source: UNAIDS, AIDS Epidemic Update: December 2003, p.3.
Source: UN Special Session on HIV/AIDS. Fact Sheet. 2001.

(February

HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS?

Source: UNAIDS/WHO

Where are Children affected by

HIV/AIDS

Why do children have

HIV/AIDS?

Most children under 15 who have HIV/AIDS are infected

through their infected mothers that is, through mother child
transmission.
this occurs during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding after birth.

Sexual activity (the main route of disease transmission) starts

in adolescence for most people worldwide.
Young people who are uninformed about HIV/AIDS transmission risk
becoming infected.

Poverty, lack of education, lack of medical

resources, and the commercial sexual
exploitation of children also help spread
HIV/AIDS among children worldwide.

HIV/AIDS

Which children are most

affected?

Adolescent girls and young women are at a

disproportionately high risk of contracting
HIV/AIDS.
Girls are physiologically more vulnerable to infection.
Gender-based inequities mean girls and women are
more likely to be poor and powerless, hence are more
vulnerable to sexual exploitation and HIV/AIDS
infection.
Violence against girls in the form of forced or coerced
sex, or CSEC also increase their chances of becoming
infected.

Children who live on the streets.

Children who inject drugs.

HIV/AIDS

How are children

affected?

Children with HIV/AIDS have weaker immune

systems and are more susceptible to other
illnesses.
Children with HIV/AIDS may be stigmatized
and/ or rejected from their families and
communities.
this discrimination fosters ignorance about
HIV/AIDS and stigma against testing for, treating
the disease. This in turn makes it difficult to
prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Children are orphaned when their parents die

from HIV/AIDS.

HIV/AIDS

What is being done to

help?

NGOs and governments are working together to educate the

public about HIV/AIDS and to direct individuals to clinics that
offer free HIV testing.
Researchers continue their efforts to find better treatments to
help those with AIDS and ultimately, a cure.
however, new medicines are often too expensive for poor countries.
intellectual property rights also block the production of more
affordable, generic medicines.

Some governments have increased funding and adopted

legislation that help children with AIDS.

HIV/AIDS
Discussion

Care for us and accept

us we are all human
beings. We are normal.
We have hands. We have
feet. We can walk, we
can talk, we have needs
just live everyone else
dont be afraid of us we
are all the same!
Nkosi Johnson
th
13 International AIDS Conference

Recap and

How can HIV/AIDS be transmitted? How do

children contract HIV?
Who is most vulnerable?
How can you prevent yourself from
contracting HIV?
How do you think people would react if you
had HIV/AIDS?
What are the stigmas attached to HIV/AIDS?
What could organizations and governments
do to help AIDS orphans?

HIV/AIDS

What Can You Do?

Educate yourself about HIV/AIDS.

Contact local, state, and national

politicians for support for HIV/AIDS.

Write letters asking for their opinion on
HIV/AIDS.

Talk to your parents about HIV/AIDS.

Educate the adults in your life!

Advocate for HIV/AIDS awareness!

Begin a social awareness/human rights club.

HIV/AIDS

For More

Information
AIDS.org
www.aids.org

UNAIDS
www.unaids.org

Center for Disease Control

www.cdc.gov

UNICEF
www.unicef.org/aids

AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth

& Families
www.aids-alliance.org

Youth Advocate Program

International
www.yapi.org

Population Services International

www.youthaids.org