Your HIV Infection Risk is Higher Than You Think Evelyn M. Kappeler - TakePart
go to original May 4, 2013

The goal of SETAC's Brigades for Life Program is to help all people know their HIV status, as this is a duty not only of the health system but also of the population, who should be informed that there is a free test available and that everyone has the opportunity - and the responsibility - to be tested and diagnosed in a timely fashion. (SETAC-GLBT)

Over 50,000 new HIV infections occur annually and of those new HIV infections, one in four occur among young people ages 13-24. One in four! As a public health professional, and as a mother of two young people in this age group, this recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) made me gasp.  We have entered the fourth decade of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the U.S., and know more about the disease and how to prevent and treat it than ever before and, yet, the December 2012 CDC report reveals:  

• About 1,000 youth per month were infected with HIV in 2010.

• A disproportionate number of new HIV infections in youth (70 percent) occurred in gay and bisexual males, most of whom were African American.

• About 60 percent of youth with HIV did not know they were infected and could unknowingly pass HIV to others. And without treatment, they increased their chances of sickness and early death.

The statistics above can make the problem seem overwhelming, but there are actions we can all take to fight HIV in our own lives and in our communities.

Read the rest at TakePart

We invite you to add your charity or supporting organizations' news stories and coming events to PVAngels so we can share them with the world. Do it now!