Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) was first reported in the United States in mid-1981. Since that time, more than 560,000 people have been diagnosed with AIDS; more than half have died. No cure as yet exists, and AIDS is expected to claim increasing numbers of lives in the coming years.

The U. S. Public Health Service estimates that one million people in the United States were infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS. Many of these persons have no symptoms; they look and feel healthy. Because a person can have HIV for years before showing any symptoms, many people may not even know they're carrying the virus. Anyone who has HIV is capable of transmitting it to others, whether the infected person shows symptoms or not.

Research indicates that approximately half of all persons with HIV may develop opportunistic infections and be diagnosed with AIDS within 7 to 10 years after infection, and that eventually, nearly all persons who have HIV will become ill in some way because of their infection.

To date, accurate information and education that provides skills for avoiding risky behaviors are our best strategies to prevent the further spread of HIV and reduce the number of deaths from AIDS. Treatments or preventive vaccines are constantly being researched, but will likely take years to develop. If you'd like more information about current drug trials, contact that National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases' hotline: (800)TRIALS-A.

For the foreseeable future, the best way we can interrupt the spread of HIV will be by educating students to avoid personal behaviors that can transmit HIV. Education can help to effect this change by increasing our understanding of how the virus is transmitted. This, in turn, can reduce unnecessary fears about HIV and AIDS.

It is especially important that educators have complete and accurate information about HIV and AIDS. Educators must play an important role in providing preventive education.