Question 1

According to the text, if you were a volunteer working with an AIDS population in Africa today, you would need to raise about how many dollars to pay for one patient's antiretroviral therapy for a year?

Accepted Answer

According to the text, a year's supply of antiretroviral drugs can now be obtained at the cost of between $80 and $660 per patient.

Question 2

A woman may have a harder time becoming pregnant after age 38, since her production of ova becomes less regular and the number of ova she produces declines after this age.

Accepted Answer

As women age, their ovarian reserve (the amount and quality of ova they have) declines, and they may also experience irregular ovulation. This can make it more difficult for them to conceive. While this process can begin earlier or later for different women, fertility declines significantly for most women after age 35 and especially after age 38.

Question 3

The early adult years are likely to be the time of adulthood in which use of drugs and alcohol is highest.

Accepted Answer

According to research, the early adult years (ages 18-25) are a time of increased risk for substance use and dependency, as young adults begin to explore their independence and identity. Therefore, drug and alcohol use is more prevalent during this stage of adulthood compared to later stages.

Question 4

Age clocks let us know whether our development is proceeding too quickly or too slowly.

Accepted Answer

Age clocks, often based on biological markers, can provide insights into whether an individual's biological age aligns with their chronological age, indicating if their development is on track, accelerated, or delayed.

Question 5

The law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability is usually called the Civil Rights Act.

Accepted Answer

The law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability is the Americans with Disabilities Act, which is often called the ADA.
Sex and Sexuality

Question 6

The best performance of 60-year-old marathon runners today approximately matches the best performance of 60-year-old marathon runners of a century ago.

Accepted Answer

The text cites statistics that 60-year-old runners today can match the records set by much younger runners in the Olympics a century ago.

Question 7

The period of middle adulthood typically extends from age 30 to age 50.

Accepted Answer

Early adulthood extends from age 20-40, and middle adulthood extends from age 40-60 or 65.

Question 8

Professional baseball players usually hit their peak performance at younger ages than professional tennis players.

Accepted Answer

Professional tennis players usually hit their peak performance in their early 20s; baseball players usually hit their peak around age 27-30, although the great players may peak even later than that.

Question 9

Partly as the result of the AIDS epidemic, young people in the U. S. today are more likely to decrease their sexual activity or use condoms when they do have sexual intercourse.

Accepted Answer

The statement is true, as studies have shown that there has been an increase in condom use and a decrease in sexual activity among young people in response to the AIDS epidemic.

Question 10

During the decades of the 1970s, the average duration of sexual intercourse declined, although the frequency of sexual intercourse increased.

Accepted Answer

During the 1970s, the duration of sexual intercourse increased markedly, suggesting that partners were experiencing greater enjoyment from sex.

Question 11

Women are at their peak of fertility at about age 15.

Accepted Answer

Peak fertility for both men and women occurs in late adolescence and early adulthood.

Question 12

Death rates are lower for people in the young adult age group than in any other age group in the U. S. today.

Accepted Answer

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), death rates are lower for people in the young adult age group (ages 25-34) than in any other age group in the U.S. today. However, this does not mean that young adults are immune to serious health risks and should still take precautions to maintain their health and safety.

Question 13

About how many new cases of AIDS were diagnosed in the United States in 2010?

Accepted Answer

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were approximately 33,000 new cases of HIV diagnosed in the United States in 2010, which can lead to AIDS if not treated.

Question 14

In which of the following regions of the world is the rate of HIV/AIDS infection currently the highest?

Accepted Answer

The rate of HIV/AIDS infection is currently the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa. This region has the highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the world with nearly 70% of all people living with HIV residing in this area. In some countries in this region, such as Swaziland, Lesotho, and Botswana, the prevalence rate is over 20%. While HIV remains a major public health concern in other regions such as Southeast Asia, South America, and the United States, the prevalence rates in these areas are much lower than in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Question 15

The decline in physical strength and biological functions that occurs between the ages of 20 and 40 is significant and is noticeable by all but the most highly trained athletes.

Accepted Answer

Although there is a slight decline in strength and biological functions during this period, the decline is slight enough and gradual enough that most people do not notice any decline at all. The exception would be trained athletes, whose peak performance generally occurs in the early to mid-20s.

Question 16

Although Luke and Connor are both 30 years old, Luke is married, has two children, and is progressing in his career, whereas Connor is still in graduate school, has never had time for a serious romantic relationship, and doesn't yet know what he wants to accomplish in his professional life. The concept that best describes the differences between these men is psychological age.

Accepted Answer

Psychological age refers to an individual's current ability to cope with and adapt to social and environmental demands, which both of these young men appear to be handling, albeit in different ways. The differences between Luke and Connor are better addressed by considering their social ages, which reflects their status as compared with cultural norms.
General Physical Development

Question 17

According to statistics presented in the text, which subgroup in the U.S. population currently is being hardest hit by increasing rates of HIV/AIDS infection?

Accepted Answer

The text presents statistics that show the highest rates of newly diagnosed HIV/AIDS cases in the U.S. are among African American women. The text also notes that rates of infection among this subgroup have remained disproportionately high compared to other groups. Therefore, option C is the correct answer.

Question 18

The events that define the entry and exit of developmental periods during childhood and adolescence are less defined by culture and more defined by maturation than are the developmental periods during adulthood.

Accepted Answer

The entry and exit of developmental periods during childhood and adolescence are largely determined by biologically-driven maturation processes, whereas the developmental stages during adulthood may be influenced more by cultural factors such as social norms and career expectations.

Question 19

Retirement at age 65 would be a good example of a normative event.

Accepted Answer

Retirement at age 65 is a normative event, meaning it is a typical and expected life transition that is socially defined and culturally recognized. Other examples of normative events include starting school, getting married, and having children, among others.

Question 20

Idiosyncratic events often create considerable stress and a need for reorganization in one's life.

Accepted Answer

Idiosyncratic events, such as the death of a loved one, a natural disaster or a serious illness, can disrupt one's life and create a need for reorganization. These events can be highly stressful and require significant adjustments to one's routines, relationships, and priorities.

Quiz 12: Young Adulthood: Physical and Cognitive Development