April 10 is National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, a day to raise awareness about the impact of HIV on young people. One in five new HIV diagnoses in the U.S. occurs in young people ages 13-24. In 2018, out of the 37,832 new HIV diagnoses, 21% were youth. In this study, most new HIV diagnoses in this age group were young gay or bisexual men. For young women in this group, the most common cause was from heterosexual sex.
What are some of the barriers in prevention for youth?
There are many challenges for the youth when it comes to preventing HIV and STI's. One of those being inadequate sex education. According to the CDC, "The status of sexual health education varies throughout the United States, and is insufficient in many areas according to CDC’s 2018 School Health Profiles. Sex education is not starting early enough; in no state did more than half of middle schools teach all 20 sexual health topics recommended by CDC. Comprehensive sexual health is not reaching most high school students either. In most states, fewer than half of high schools teach all 20 sexual health topics recommended by CDC. Finally, sex education has been declining over time. The percentage of US middle schools in which students are required to receive instruction on HIV prevention decreased from 82% in 2000 to 71% in 2016, according to the School Health Policies and Practices Study."
Another barrier for youth is access to contraceptives. Across the U.S., 46% of high school students who were sexually active reported that they did not use a condom the last time they had sexual intercourse. This relates back to inadequate sex education, not knowing how to properly use a condom, or it can also be a lack of access to the condoms.
Lack of testing can also contribute to HIV and STI's in young people. Knowing your status is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of HIV and STI's. According to the CDC, "Only 9% of high school students have been tested for HIV. Among male students who had sexual contact with other males, only 15% have ever been tested for HIV. Low rates of testing mean more young people have undiagnosed HIV. People who do not know they have HIV cannot take advantage of HIV care and treatment, and may unknowingly transmit HIV to others."
What are some barriers for youth who are HIV positive?
One of the biggest barriers for youth who are HIV positive is stigma. Stigma is often a result of, again, lack of education. Misconceptions of HIV can lead to harmful thinking. Examples of this are believing you can contract HIV from simple things like kissing, holding hands, or even living with someone who is HIV positive. In a 2017 Kaiser Family Foundation study, 51% of young adults aged 18 to 30 said they would be uncomfortable having a roommate with HIV, and 58% said they would be uncomfortable having their food prepared by someone with HIV. HIV cannot be transmitted by being someone’s roommate or preparing someone’s food.
Stigma can also lead to feelings of isolation, possibly causing young people to not reach out and ask for help, get tested or seek treatment options once they are aware of their status. Socioeconomic status can also be a huge challenge for those living with HIV. It can cause one to lack resources and struggle with things like medication and appointment adherence, which causes low viral suppression rates.
So, how do we help those in their youth who are both HIV positive as well as negative?
It all starts with prevention efforts. This means providing factual and non-stigmatizing sex education, giving youth better access to contraceptives, and getting these young people tested. At Matthew 25, our Prevention Team is committed to these prevention efforts not just for youth, but for everyone.
If you or someone you know doesn't know your HIV status, we want to get you tested! We do offer FREE and confidential HIV testing and Hepatitis C testing. We provide pre and post counseling to support testing and make sure that testers have access to condoms, and other safe sex supplies.
We have 3 Kentucky locations: Henderson, Owensboro, and Bowling Green. We also have a location in Evansville, Indiana location. Drive-Up Testing is also offered at all of our Kentucky locations.
If you have any questions or would like to schedule a free and confidential HIV test, please call (866) 607-6590. You can also email treed@matthew25clinic.org for more!
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