This document outlines a proposed study to examine the effect of education and vaccination on rates of new HIV infections. It would divide 300 participants aged 15-24 into three groups: one receiving education about HIV/AIDS, one receiving both education and vaccination with an experimental HIV vaccine, and a control group receiving neither. The groups would be followed for six years and tested every two years for HIV. The study aims to determine if education and vaccination together are more effective at preventing new HIV cases than education or no intervention alone. Results would be submitted to academic journals to help combat the high prevalence of new HIV infections each year.

1. The Effect of Education and Aids on the Rate of new infections Each Year Camira Bryant English 302 November 23, 2009

2. Syphilis

3. NNeurosyphilis

4. Kaposi's Sarcoma

5. Herpes Zoster

6. Bacillary angiomatosis

7. According to the Center of Disease Control as of December 2004, an estimated 415,193 people are reported to be living with AIDS. Since the first reported cases of the aids in homosexual males in July 1981 (Stine p. 25), an estimated 944,306 people have developed AIDS in the United States. Of those, 56% had died as of December 2004. Did you know?

8. Between 1978 and 2000 and found that there was a 100% transmission rate of HIV in the 1980s, meaning that virtually everyone infected with this virus transmitted it to someone else. By the end of the 1980’s the rate of transmission was reduced to 5.49% because safe sex practices and education about aids was such a vital part of everyday society. Over the past twenty years, the rate of transmission has remained constant at about 4.5%; an estimated 55,000 - 58,500 new HIV infections occur in the United States each year (Stine 187) And Did you Know?

9. 45% of all new infections occur in young people ages 15 to 24 According to Stine its because young people lack the adequate information to avoid exposure to the virus. But Did you also Know?

10. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) examined data from 2006 School Health Profiles for schools in 36 states and 13 large urban school districts and found that a state average of 84.2% of schools included HIV prevention in a required health education course. An average of 57.2% of the 13 districts included HIV prevention in a required health education course, ranging from 0% to 100%. This means that in some areas there is no prevention mechanism for HIV being taught, with a strong possibility that the issue of HIV was not addressed at all. Only 21.1% of secondary schools in the states and 28.5% of secondary schools districts studied actually taught the 11 topic listed by the CDC for effective HIV prevention. Here are some facts…

11. The Guttmacher Institute in 2006 stated that the teaching of sex education is mandated in 19 states, and STD/ HIV related education is required in 35 out of 50 states More Facts….

12. This new vaccine, which has proven to be 31.2% effective, is known as RV 144. It is a combination of the Alvac and Aidsvac (McNeil). To some 31.2% effectiveness may not seem like much but when 2.5 million new infections occur worldwide each year, about 55,000 in the United States, 750,000 new infections worldwide could be prevented, up to 16,000 in the United States, drastically reducing the number of aids related deaths each year. Vaccination

13. The hypothesis is that if three groups were formed and studied, one group who is educated on aids, another who is educated with aids and vaccinated with the trial HIV vaccine, and other group with neither education nor vaccine and followed for 6 years, then the group with both education and vaccination will have the lowest number of HIV diagnosis than the other two groups. Hypothesis

14. The way that is study will be conducted is by randomly selecting three hundred individuals living in the United States from different nationalities, economic statuses, and geographic locations, aged 15-24, unmarried, who are uninfected by HIV. Unmarried individuals are selected because there is a greater possibility of more than one sexual partner over the course of the experiment, allowing them a greater chance of exposure to the virus. They will be divided into three groups; one group who will be educated on aids, another group who educated with aids and vaccinated with the trial HIV vaccine, and a control group will have neither education nor vaccination. They will be followed for six years and randomly tested for the presence of HIV over two year intervals. Methods

15. The first group will be required to go through a rigorous fifteen hour aids awareness course and required to pass an exam upon completion of the course. They will be taught about what HIV and aids are and prevention mechanisms such as condom use and avoiding exposure of blood of infected individuals. It will be series of classroom instruction, movie, as well as discussion based learning. Group one

16. The second group will also go through the same course but this group will be injected with the RV 144, the new HIV virus. The final group will not be given aids education or vaccination. Group two

17. The final group serves as a control group No vaccination or education Group three

18. The research purpose is to determine what is the most effective way of combating prevalence of new aids cases each year. The end will determine whether or not the hypothesis was valid and also reveal which method of prevention, or no method at all was most successful in reducing the number of new HIV cases in the participants. Findings will be submitted to academic journals such as the Journal of HIV and Aids research and the Journal of Infectious Disease and immunity. What Do I hope to gain?