AIDS--a public health crisis.

With no cure or vaccine in sight the only real hope for controlling AIDS now is education that changes peoples behavior and the mass media community and national leaders parents and teachers must also help.

Abstract

AIDS--acquired immune deficiency syndrome--is a deadly new sexually transmitted disease now spreading rapidly in much of the world. At present there is no cure. For family planning and related health workers AIDS creates special responsibilities because: 1) people will bring their questions and concerns about AIDS to family planning and other maternal health workers; 2) sexual intercourse is the major way that AIDS is transmitted; and 3) family planning programs can supply condoms and tell people how to use them. The 7 basic facts about AIDS are: 1) AIDS is a fatal disease that cannot now be cured; 2) AIDS is not spread by casual contact; 3) AIDS is spread by sexual intercourse by contaminated blood and by contaminated hypodermic needles; 4) an infected woman can give AIDS to her child during pregnancy; 5) a stable faithful relationship with another uninfected person is safest; 6) for the sexually active always using condoms is good protection against AIDS; 7) a person can look and feel healthy and still be able to spread the infection that causes AIDS. As of August 1986 71 countries had reported almost 29000 cases of AIDS. Currently the largest numbers have been reported in the US Western Europe Central Africa Brazil and Haiti. Worldwide as many as 5 to 10 million people may be infected with the virus that causes AIDS the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Most of these people have no symptoms now but can infect others. Many of these people are expected to develop AIDS eventually. In North America Europe and Brazil most cases have involved homosexual men or users of intravenous drugs who have shared contaminated needles. In Africa and Haiti many women are developing AIDS. The number of children with AIDS is expected to grow and in some areas AIDS may become a major threat to child survival. AIDS results from a viral infection that damages the immune system. The damaged immune system cannot protect against certain other infections and cancers some of which then become the direct causes of death. With no cure or vaccine in sight the only real hope for controlling AIDS now is education that changes peoples behavior. Family planning and other health workers must lead but the mass media community and national leaders parents and teachers must also help.