AIDS AND THE PROBLEMS OF
TEENAGERS
More than twenty years ago mankind was sure that infectious diseases
did not represent a danger to the civilised world anymore.
However, at the beginning of the ’80s, with the appearance of AIDS – Acquired Immune
Deficiency Syndrome – this conviction was essentially shaken. According to expert
reports, AIDS is now a global health problem, the first real epidemic of an infectious
disease which was not checked by medicine in its early stages.
According to the USA AIDS statistics, only 29 deaths occurred prior to the year 1981. In
1981 we can see a rapid growth of death cases due to AIDS – 121 deaths during that first
year. Since 1981 the number of deaths increased progressively. This process continued
until 1996. Since that year, in the USA there has been a marked decline in AIDS incidence
and deaths. This was associated with the widespread use of potent combinations of
antiretroviral therapies.
However, the rates of decline in AIDS incidence and deaths slowed during the latter part
of 1998 and 1999. At the end of 1999 in the USA there were 320,000 people living with
AIDS.
In contrast, in many other countries, AIDS cases and deaths have been increasing each
year.
For example, in Russia, at the end of 2001 there were 170,000 people living with AIDS. But
these statistics include only those officially diagnosed. The real figures are estimated
to be much worse. Among all the regions of Russia, Moscow region and the city of Moscow
occupy first and second place in number of AIDS cases.
Nowadays AIDS is found in practically all countries of the world. At the end of 1999,
there were 34.3 million people throughout the world living with AIDS, and without doubt
the number of cases has increased over the last two years.
During the first decade (1981–1991), the virus affected mainly certain groups of the
population, named as high risk groups. These included prostitutes, homosexuals, hospital
patients and inherited hemophiliacs (as their lives depend on regular blood transfusions).
The second decade began in 1992. It was much harder than the first one. In Africa, in the
next 7 to 10 years, 25% of agricultural farms will have no workers due to AIDS fatalities.
So, it is obvious that AIDS is one of the most important and tragic problems which all
mankind faces at the beginning of the 21st century.
To begin with, AIDS is a difficult scientific problem. Even theoretical solutions to the
task of clearing the genetic mechanism of traces of virus information have not yet been
worked out. There will be no complete victory over AIDS without solving this problem. This
disease has posed a lot of scientific questions for research.
Furthermore, AIDS is one of the most difficult economic problems. Billions of dollars have
been spent on fundamental scientific research, both to protect people from AIDS, and to
cure those who have already contracted the disease.
To sum up, AIDS is not only a problem facing doctors and public health authorities, but it
should be solved by scientists in many different fields, statesmen and economists, lawyers
and sociologists. It is the consequence of a global moral crisis.
We can solve the problem of AIDS only if we manage to overcome this crisis and develop new
concepts for strengthening our civilisation. Everyone should be fully aware that AIDS has
entered the 21st century with us.
And, to reduce the risk of infection and the spread of this disease, people in all
countries should be informed about AIDS – about the development and the clinical
symptoms of this disease, its prevention and treatment, the care and also the
psychotherapy of AIDS patients.
In this article we are concerned about AIDS as a world problem. But it predominantly
attacks young people, who are the main carriers of the disease. We can give frightening
statistics: Out of 18.8 million who have died from AIDS since the beginning of the
epidemic, 3.8 million were children under the age of 15.
AIDS is one of the consequences of alcohol and drug addiction among young people. The
roots of these problems are found in families where children do not receive the love and
care they need. In these families, children feel alienated, and begin to search for
substitutes for love such as alcohol and drugs, which affect the nervous system. These
narcotics and stimulants transport young people away from real life into a world of
illusion. Using and abusing alcohol and drugs, young people no longer control their
actions and thoughts. Moreover, they have the illusion that in this way they can get rid
of any psychological complexes of being a teen.
So, losing the feeling of self control, young people are able to engage in casual sexual
relations with total strangers. And if a young man falls ill with venereal disease some
time after such an experience, it is very difficult for him to remember who he caught it
from.
Now we can observe the rapid spread of AIDS in Russia. In Western countries, the majority
of people spreading this disease are homosexuals; but in Russia 75% of AIDS cases occur
among drug abusers.
Evidently, the reason for these problems is in the feelings of loneliness that are so
typical for teenagers. At that age a person is not a child any more, but he has not yet
become an adult either. He needs a mature person to understand him and help him to cope
with his problems. He needs a person who can support him and lead him in the right
direction.
In our opinion, the role of school teachers, priests and representatives of the mass media
is particularly important nowadays. We should unify the efforts of all people who are able
to influence teenagers and educate them. It is our common responsibility to protect the
young generation of our country from this dangerous disease. We have no other choice.
Paraphrasing William Shakespeare, the question is: “To live or not to live?”
By N.Kryuchkova and N.Sidorova,
11th grade,
with the participation of Mikhail Lifits, English teacher,
Gymnasium No. 1576 |