Who will want me now? It's a heart-wrenching question that comes to mind for teenagers infected with HIV. And the number of infected teenagers is increasing. Each year in the United States alone, some 1,700 more young people aged 13 to 24 are diagnosed with the ravaging end result of this infection--AIDS. Nearly 35,000 teenagers in total now have AIDS in this country. Far more have been diagnosed with HIV; an undetermined number have it and do not yet know. Worldwide among the 37 million known to be HIV-infected, about half of the people became infected sexually before their 25th birthday. In this volume, experts who work daily with HIV-infected teenagers reveal for us the psychological and social fallout, in addition to current medical issues, that face adolescents who've received the diagnosis.

This book focuses on the issues encountered by children and young people who are living with HIV/AIDS. It examines their lived experiences associated with HIV/AIDS, and studies groups of children and youngsters from around the globe. Connecting empirical information with real-life situations, the book brings together results from empirical research that relates to these children and young people. Its chapters can be used as evidence for health care providers to implement socially and culturally appropriate services to assist individuals and groups of children and young people who are living with HIV/AIDS in many societies. Many of these young people are from the most marginalized and vulnerable groups; and many have been orphaned by the death of their HIV-positive parents. Marginalized young people such as refugees, migrants and street children are most at risk due to the use of illicit drugs, their exposure to unprotected sex (in exchange for food, money and protection), and stigma associated with their marginalized lives. The impact that HIV/AIDS has on the opportunities for these young people to be able to lead healthy adult lives is considerable. This book gives a voice to these children and young people and advances our understanding of their lived experiences and needs.

Who will want me now? It's a heart-wrenching question for teenagers infected with HIV. The number of HIV/AIDS-infected teenagers in the United States is increasing. Nearly 35,000 U.S. teenagers now have AIDS. Far more have been diagnosed with HIV, and an undetermined number have the virus and do not yet know. Each year, some 1,700 young people aged 13 to 24 are diagnosed with the ravaging end result of this infection: AIDS. In this volume, experts who work with HIV/AIDS-infected teenagers examine the psychological and social fallout compounding the frightening medical issues faced by adolescents who've received the diagnosis. Readers share the challenge with teens as they face the stigma of HIV/AIDS and the tough decisions about who to tell of their infection and when to do it. We learn the hard truth about health care, self care, and new treatment options for affected teens. And we read about the heartbreaking end-of-life care issues for dying adolescents. Perhaps most important, the authors offer resources teens and their families can turn to for information and support. And they explain what family, friends, teachers, and other professionals can do to help infected teens maximize their mental health and their quality of life.

This book serves as a reference work on pediatric HIV infection and covers the full bandwidth of topics from an introduction to pathogenesis and epidemiology, over the transmission of the HI virus, to clinical manifestations, treatment, and prevention strategies. Diseases and disorders occurring in HIV infected persons are discussed in detail. The book covers special populations, such as neonates born to an HIV positive mother and adolescents and examines the specific ways of managing HIV disease in these patient groups. This is the first book to cover palliative care as well as ethical, legal and social issues of HIV infection.

Originally published in 1997, Aids and Adolescents provided an insight into a wide range of adolescent issues which were rarely compiled in one volume at the time. Much of the HIV epidemic response had been at the individual level in the hope that this narrow focus would provide the key to containment and resolution of spread. However, over the ten years since the epidemic had taken hold, it was clear that paradigms were limited, input was uncritical and large cohorts were overlooked. In this text a series of contributions have been compiled to explore adolescent issues ranging from sexual behaviour and health education campaigns to HIV prevention and HIV/AIDS care. The chapters begin by giving an overview of adolescent problems, such as homelessness, pregnancy and gender, and explore why these problems are so often overlooked. We then move on to an examination of the facts and fictions associated with adolescent risk, challenging some of the basic current notions underpinning approaches to the subject at the time. Also included are particular focused studies of Australian adolescents’ beliefs about HIV and STDs and also the American adolescents’ perceptions of drug injection. Finally, the volume gives a focused view of those with HIV infection, with a review of findings of the time, neuropsychological and psychological factors. This overview provided some comments on merging issues and future directions. Today it can be read in its historical context.

Young people and HIV/AIDS :opportunity in crisis.