At YouthPride, Confidential HIV Testing is available FREE (to youth) every Wednesday from 4PM-6PM and at special events as advertised. Testing is made available by a partnership with Our Common Welfare, Inc. and AID Gwinnett. Testing includes individual counseling before and after the test, results are given the same day (usually within 30 minutes!). For other testing sites in the area, see the listing maintained by AID Atlanta.

A lot of young people still don't think they're personally at risk. At the same time, the success of new HIV/AIDS treatments has made some people think they don't need to protect themselves -- a mistake that can have tragic results.

HIV Testing at YouthPride - The Basics
So, you know you want to get tested for HIV, but you're unsure how to go about it, or what options are available to you. You may wonder who will find out or where your HIV status will be recorded. You might want to know your results quickly or are willing to wait a while. You might also wonder about cost and if you'll be able to afford it. Fortunately, YouthPride is one resource for those curious about their HIV status. For more information about testing options, you can contact YouthPride at 404-521-9711 or email us.

HIV Prevention Tips

Do You Know How to Practice Safer Sex?
The guidelines are simple. First, whenever you have sexual intercourse (or oral sex), practice safer sex by using a condom or dental dam (a square of latex recommended for use during oral-genital and oral-anal sex). When used properly and consistently, condoms are close to 99% effective in preventing transmission of HIV

But remember:

Use only latex condoms (or dental dams).
Use only water-based lubricants.
Use protection each and every time you have sex.

Practicing safer sex will also help you avoid other sexually transmitted diseases (STD's), many of which can increase your risk of contracting HIV or giving it to someone else.

Recent studies show that 26% of sexually active teenagers think it's impossible to get HIV through oral sex, and 15% more don't know whether people can contract HIV this way. The truth: it is possible.

Do You Know How to Protect Yourself During Oral Sex?
While it's much easier to contract HIV through unprotected vaginal or anal sex, unprotected oral sex is not a safe substitute. If you choose to perform or receive oral sex -- whether your partner is male or female -- it's crucial that you guard against the transmission of HIV. Here's how:

Use a latex condom each and every time you perform oral-penile sex (fellatio).
Use plastic food wrap, a latex condom cut open, or a dental dam when performing oral-vaginal sex (cunnilingus) or oral-anal sex (anilingus).

These methods provide a physical barrier to HIV transmission and also will help keep you safe from other sexually transmitted diseases (STD's), many of which can increase your risk of contracting HIV or giving it to someone else.

HIV/AIDS doesn't discriminate. That means that anyone who engages in risk behavior can become infected with HIV. But the epidemic has taken an especially heavy toll on some groups of young people, especially African American and Latino youth, young women, and young men who have sex with men (whether or not they identify themselves as gay). But remember, it's not who you are, but what you do that determines whether you can become infected with HIV.

Do You Think There's a Cure for HIV/AIDS?
AIDS is still a fatal disease for which there is no cure and no vaccine. New medications are helping many people with HIV/AIDS live longer, healthier lives, but the combination or "cocktail" treatments don't work for everyone. They're very expensive and often cause serious side effects. And because HIV mutates (or changes its genetic structure) constantly, the virus often develops resistance, and the medications become ineffective. In the U.S., 10% to 20% of people newly infected with HIV are acquiring strains of the virus that don't respond to the best available treatments. The bottom line? Don't have sex without a condom.

HIV/AIDS isn't the only sexually transmitted disease (STD) young people have to worry about. Three million teenagers contract STD's each year. That's about one out of every four teens who are sexually active. Click here to read more about some of the other STD's.

Did You Know That Other STD's Can Increase Your Risk of Getting HIV or Passing It On to Someone Else?
Having a sexually transmitted disease (STD) can increase your risk of acquiring or transmitting HIV. This is true whether you have open sores or breaks in the skin (as with syphilis, herpes, and chancroid) or not (as with chlamydia and gonorrhea). Where there are breaks in the skin, HIV can enter and exit the body more easily. But even when there are no breaks in the skin, STD's can cause biological changes that may make HIV transmission more likely. Studies show that people with HIV who are infected with another STD are three to five times more likely to contract or transmit the virus through sexual contact. What to do? Practice safer sex. Some people develop mild, temporary flu-like symptoms or persistent swollen glands immediately after becoming HIV-infected. But even if you look and feel healthy, you may be infected. If you think there's any chance you may have been exposed to HIV, you should get tested as soon as possible.

Do You Understand Why It's Important to Know if You're HIV-Infected?
Even in the early stages of HIV infection, you can take concrete steps to protect your long-term health. Beginning medical care before you begin to get sick may give you many more years of healthy life than you otherwise would have. And, of course, knowing you're HIV-positive will allow you to take the necessary precautions to prevent others from becoming infected. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a 24-hour toll-free hotline to answer questions about HIV testing and refer you to testing sites in your area (see above).

Can You Name Some of the Ways That HIV Isn't Transmitted?
HIV is not an easy virus to pass from one person to another. It is not transmitted through food or air (for instance, by coughing or sneezing). There has never been a case where a person was infected by a household member, relative, co-worker, or friend through casual or everyday contact such as sharing eating utensils and bathroom facilities or hugging and kissing. (Most scientists agree that while HIV transmission through deep or prolonged "French" kissing might be possible, it's extremely unlikely.)

Mosquitoes, fleas, and other insects do not transmit HIV. In the U.S., screening the blood supply for HIV has virtually eliminated the risk of infection through blood transfusions, and you can't get HIV from giving blood at a blood bank or other established blood collection center. Sweat, tears, vomit, feces, and urine do contain HIV, but have not been reported to transmit the disease (apart from two cases involving transmission from fecal matter via cut skin).

The bottom line is that you should treat someone with HIV or AIDS the same as anyone else. In fact, they need your friendship and support more than ever. Just think how you would feel in their place.

Do You Know How to Protect Yourself from HIV?
People infected with HIV carry the virus in their body fluids, including blood, semen, vaginal secretions, and breast milk. The virus can spread only if these HIV-infected fluids enter the bloodstream of another person. This can take place (1) through the linings of the vagina, rectum, mouth, or the opening at the tip of the penis; (2) through intravenous injection with a syringe; or (3) through a break in the skin, such as a cut or sore. The most common ways that people become HIV-infected are:

Unprotected sexual intercourse (either vaginal or anal) with someone who has HIV.
Unprotected oral sex with someone who has HIV.
Sharing needles or syringes (including those used for steroids) with someone who has HIV.
Infection during pregnancy, childbirth, or breast-feeding.

There are close to one million Americans living with HIV/AIDS. Roughly 25% of them became infected when they were teenagers, and the rate of infection among young people is rising.

Are You Afraid You May Already Have HIV?
Some people develop mild, temporary flu-like symptoms or persistent swollen glands immediately after becoming HIV-infected. But even if you look and feel healthy, you may be infected. If you think there's a chance you may have been exposed to HIV, you should get tested as soon as possible. Most HIV tests involve taking a blood sample, and you can get tested by your doctor, at local health department clinics, or at hospitals. In addition, many states offer anonymous HIV testing. It's important to get tested at a place that provides counseling, because counselors can help you understand what your test results mean, answer questions about how to protect yourself and others, and refer you to local HIV-related resources.

Most young people who are HIV-infected don't know it, which means they can't take important steps to protect other people or to get the medical care they need. YouthPride offers FREE confidential HIV testing every Wednesday from 5:30pm to 7pm.

Do You Know the Difference Between HIV and AIDS?
HIV is the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). When HIV infects someone, the virus enters the body and begins to multiply and attack immune cells that normally protect us from disease. Eventually the body's immune system breaks down and is unable to fight off so-called "opportunistic infections" and other illnesses, ranging from pneumonia and cancer to blindness and dementia. It's only when someone with HIV begins to experience these specific infections and illnesses that they're diagnosed with AIDS.

Do You Think You Can Tell if Someone Has HIV or AIDS?
You can't tell if someone has HIV or AIDS by looking. An infected person can appear completely healthy. But anyone infected with HIV can infect other people, even if no symptoms are present.

If you're not sexually active, you've already eliminated the most common cause of HIV infection among teens. But if you have made the decision to have sexual intercourse (or oral sex), you need to protect yourself.

Source: www.thebody.org
AmfAR AIDS Research

Check out this site for more information. www.askusteens.org

Safer Sex for Women Who Have Sex with Women
The Importance of Barriers:

A barrier should be used to separate oral and vaginal contact ("going down," "eating out") and to separate oral and anal sex ("rimming") in order to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases/infections.
Never reuse or share a barrier.
Be aware of which side of barrier has contact with your partner and which side has contact with your mouth. Carelessness may cause you to transmit bodily fluids.

Types of Barriers:

A dental dam is a thick, square piece of latex originally designed for use by dentists.
A condom can be cut open to make a smaller, thinner latex sheet.
A latex glove can be rinsed (to remove powder) and cut apart into a sheet, too. Gloves can also be used for vaginal or anal penetration ("fingering" or "fisting"), especially if you have cuts on your hands.
Plastic wrap (like Saran or Glad Wrap) is cheap and easy to find, and can be cut into any size.
Tip: You can use some water-based lubricant (such as KY Jelly, Aqualube, etc.) on the inside of the barrier to increase pleasure. Never use oil-based lubricants like Vaseline or oil, because they destroy the latex.

Sex Toys:
Wash toys like dildos and vibrators with hot soapy water when sharing with sexual partners, or use a new condom on them for each partner. Even better, have your own separate toys.

Grinding:
Genital-to-genital "grinding" or "humping" between women can be dangerous because it spreads bodily fluids. It is safer to rub against the intact skin of a partner's thigh or other dry body part.

If Having Sex with Men:

Use a condom and lubricant for vaginal or anal sex.
For oral sex on a man, use an unlubricated condom.
Always use a latex condom. "Natural" or "lambskin" condoms do not protect against STDs.