Agenda - Council - 05/28/1991 - Laserfiche WebLink

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, I What AIDS Means To You I AIDS is one of the most serious health problems that has ever faced the American public. It is important that we all, regardless of who we are, understand this disease. AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficie~cy sw~drome, tt is a disease caused by the Human Immunodeficiencv Virus, H~;--rhe AIDS virus. The AIDS virus may live in the human body for years before actual symptoms appear. It primarily affects you by malting you unable to fight other diseases. T'hese other diseases can ~11 you. Many people feel that only certain "high risk groups" of people are infected by the AIDS virus. This is untrue. Who you arc has nothi~t~ ro do ~i,ith whether ~,ou arc i~,~ c[a~er of bcin~t infected with thc AIDS virus. What mavvcrs is ~i,hat wu do. People are worried about getting AIDS. Some should be worried and need to take some serious precautions. But many are not in danger of contracting AIDS. The purpose of this brochure is to tell you how you can, and just as important, how you can't becoh~e infected with the AIDS virus. Your children need to know about AIDS. Discuss it with them as you would am' health concern, How Do You Get AIDS? I I I I I I There are ~vo main ways you can get AIDS. First, you can become ir~fected by having sex--oral, anal or vaginal~with someone who is infected with the AIDS virus. Second, you can be infected by sharing drug needles and syringes with an infected person. Babies of women who have been infected ~adrh thc AIDS virus may be born xxdrh the infection because it can be transmitted from the mother to the baby before or during birth. In addition, some persons with hemophilia and others have been infected by receiving blood (see page 3). "Ob:~ioush, wome}z ca~J get AIDS. I'~ here to wimess to that. AIDS is ~:ot a 'ri,c, ' 'che~'" disease it's a~ -- Carol¢ has AIDS Can You Become Infected? Yes, if you engage in risky behavior. The male homosexual population was the first in this country to feel the effects of the disease. But in spite of what you may have heard, the number of heterosexual cases is grox~4ng. People who have died of AIDS in the U.S. have been male and female, rich and poor, white, Black, Hispanic, Asian and ?anerican Indian. 1-Iow Do You Get AIDS From Sex? The AIDS virus can be spread by sexual inter- COurse ~?her you are male or'female, heterosex- AMERICA ual, bisexual or homosexual. This happens because a person infected with the AIDS virus may have the virus in semen or vaginal fluids. The virus can enter the body through the vagina, penis, rectum or mouth. Anal intercourse, with or without a condom, is risky. The rectum is easily injured during anal intercourse. Remember, AIDS is sexually transmitted, and the AIDS virus is nor the only infection that is passed through intimate sexual contact. Other sexually transmitted diseases, such as gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes and chlam.vdia, can also be contracted through oral, anal and vaginal intercourse. Ifx,ou are infected with one of these diseases and engage in risky behavior (sec pa,~e 3), you are at greater risk of getting AIDS. RESPONDS TO AIDS I I I I I I I i I I -I