www.hivandhepatitis.com

April 10 is National Youth HIV and AIDS Awareness Day

April 10 is National Youth HIV and AIDS Awareness Day (NYHAAD), an opportunity to promote education and raise awareness about the epidemic among young people in the U.S. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), youth age 13 to 24 accounted for just over a quarter of all new HIV infections in 2010 -- rising to nearly 40% if those up to age 29 are included -- with an especially high burden among young gay and bisexual black and Latino men.

Resources

• Twitter: @YouthAIDSDay, #NYHAAD
• Advocates for Youth: National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day
• AIDS.gov: National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day
• CDC: HIV Among Youth fact sheet

Nearly 10,000 young people were diagnosed with HIV infection in the U.S. in 2013, according to the latest CDC data, representing 21% of all diagnoses. At the end of 2012 there were an estimated 62,400 youth living with HIV in the U.S. Yet estimates indicate that about half or more of youth living with HIV do not know their status, and many are not receiving the care and treatment they need to achieve viral suppression, which both improves their own health and reduces the risk of transmission to others.

On National Youth HIV and AIDS Awareness Day, public health experts encourage young people age 13 and older to get tested for HIV at least once, and more often if they are potentially at risk. AIDS.gov offers an online HIV test site locator, or call 1-800-CDC-INFO or text zip code to "KNOWIT" (566948) for free test sites near you.

4/6/15

Source

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HIV Among Youth. Fact sheet. Updated April 6, 2015.