Children and youth with aids

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is one of the most horrific diseases ever faced by humankind. Its complexity causes confusion and misunderstandings, and the terrible toll it exacts on its victims generates fear and panic. In January, 1988, health officials announced the results of a study that showed an astonishing one out of every 61 infants in New York City harbors antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus, the cause of AIDS. Most victims of AIDS die; and, especially among the young, when they die, they die despairing - lamenting the future they've been denied, shattering in convulsive fashion the heartfelt myth of the young, that they are invincible. In this article, AIDS is examined in terms of its causes, prevalence, prognoses, and modes of transmission. The importance of educating the public about AIDS is also discussed, and ways of preventing AIDS are advanced.