children s health issues
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection in Children and Adolescents
Transmission of HIV Infection
HIV is most commonly transmitted to children by An infected mother before birth or during birth After birth through breastfeeding In infants, HIV infection is nearly always acquired from the mother. More than 95% of children infected with HIV in the United States acquired the infection from their mother, either before or around the time of birth (called vertical transmission or mother-to-child transmission). Most of the remaining children and adolescents now living with HIV infection acquired the infection from sexual activity, including, rarely, sexual abuse. Because of improved safety measures regarding screening of blood and blood products, in recent years almost no infections have resulted from the use of blood and blood products in the United States, Canada, or Western Europe. Experts are not sure how many women infected with HIV give birth each year in the United States, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate is about 3,000 to 5,000. Without ART, 25 to 33% of them would transmit the infection to their baby. Transmission often takes place during labor and delivery. Therisk of transmissionis highest among mothers who Acquire HIV infection during pregnancy or while breastfeeding Are severely ill due to HIV infection Have more virus in their body However, transmission has declined significantly in the United States from about 25% in 1991 to less than or equal to 1% in 2019. Mother-to-child transmission has been reduced because of an intensive effort to test and treat infected pregnant women during both pregnancy and delivery. In the United States, transmission of HIV from an infected mother to her child has declined from about 25% in 1991 to less than or equal to 1% in 2019. The virus also can be transmitted in breast milk. About 12 to 14% of infants who were not infected at birth acquire HIV infection if they breastfeed from a mother infected with HIV. Most often, transmission occurs in the first few weeks or months of life but may occur later. Transmission by breastfeeding is more likely in mothers who have a high level of virus in their body, including those who acquired the infection during the time period in which they were breastfeeding their infant. In adolescents, the ways HIV infection is Through sexual activity : Having unprotected sexual contact Sharing infected needles All adolescents are at increased risk of HIV infection if they have unprotected sex. Adolescents who share infected needles while injecting drugs are also at increased risk. In very rare cases, HIV has been transmitted by contact with infected blood on the skin. In almost all such cases, the skin surface was broken by scrapes or open sores. Although saliva may contain the virus, there are no known cases of transmission of infection by coughing, kissing, or biting. HIV isNOTtransmittedthrough Food Water Touching the same household items (for example, clothing, furniture, and doorknobs) Social contact in a home, workplace, or school 