Different day, same story in regards to Black men and HIV. Please practice safe sex and stay educated, people!
Via NPR.org:
The latest data on HIV rates in American teenagers and young adults offer a sobering message. While the number of new infections in the U.S. is relatively stable — at about 50,000 people each year — HIV is on the rise in young people under 25. Youths age 13 to 24 made up about a quarter of all new HIV infections in the U.S. during 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Tuesday. Six out of 10 youths living with HIV don’t even realize they’re infected. The bottom line: 1,000 American teenagers and young adults become infected each month with HIV.
“Given everything we know about HIV and how to prevent it after more than 30 years of fighting the disease, it’s just unacceptable that young people are becoming infected at such high rates,” CDC chief Dr. Thomas Frieden said Tuesday. The upswing is driven largely by infections among young black men, who accounted for about 45 percent of new diagnoses in this age group.
Most infections occurred in men who have sex with men, the study finds. And, gay and bisexual high school kids were most likely to take part in risky behavior, such as having multiple sexual partners and injecting illegal drugs.
Please make sure you are getting tested regularly and practicing safe sex. [SOURCE]
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