Observed annually every April 10^th, National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day calls much needed attention to the impact of HIV on young people, serving to promote sexual education, disease prevention, testing, and treatment responsiveness.

According to the most recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adolescents and young adults age 13-24 account for 19% of new HIV diagnoses in this country. Black youth are disproportionately affected, reflecting broader racial disparities in new HIV diagnoses.

CDC youth testing data indicates that nearly half of young people with HIV are unaware they have it, and that a mere 6% of high school students have been tested. These alarming statistics point to the need for increased awareness about a disease that, when treated, can be effectively managed and far less likely to be transmitted to others.

The largest culprit of HIV among youth is sexual transmission, coupled with a steady decline in the use of condoms over the past decade. Many young people face barriers to prevention tools such as PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), comprehensive sexual health education, and confidential youth specific health care. Stigma and misinformation further discourage testing and open conversations about sexual health.

Whittier Street Health Center is committed to keeping our community’s young people healthy, informed, and supported. Our HIV Services Department offers:

• Walk-in rapid, 20 minute testing
• Risk reduction counseling and support
• Prevention services
• Peer support
• Free condoms
• Access to additional: HIV, STI and STD services

We welcome all youth – regardless of whether a Whittier patient.

For more information, please call 617-308-0060

References

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (September 2024). HIV Testing and Youth

Retrieved from HIV Testing and Youth | Adolescent and School Health | CDC