http://my.hsj.org/Portals/2/logos/__TFMF_hwvjjqur0zao0cysrieaoa55_ecb407e5-2a94-4d78-80b8-9b8b92a482cd_0___Selected.jpg en-us Copyright 2008 - All Rights Reserved. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:09:44 GMT 15 By Shenne Williams
According to the Stay Alive Foundation, 70 percent of sexually active teens are not using condoms.    For many adults, the image of Erving “Magic” Johnson’s 1991 press conference, in which he informed the press of his HIV status, is still a memorable moment. However, contrary to popular belief, HIV/AIDS awareness is steadily declining in the United States.       Statistics show that HIV/AIDS awareness is in decline among 16-to-24 year-olds, according to the Stay Alive Foundation. Seventy percent of sexually active teens are not using condoms. In 2007, there were 2.5 million people under the age 15 living with HIV.     "At the time [I was diagnosed], it was a white man's gay disease," said Johnson, now 44. "Now it's basically a black person's disease. As we sit here, the cases are over 60 to 65 percent. It's the number one killer of black women in New York, and we're talking about ages 18-35.”     In 2004 an estimated 5,000 young people were diagnosed with HIV infection or AIDS, representing about 13 percent of the persons diagnosed during that year, according to the Center Control and Prevention. Since the beginning of the epidemic, an estimated 40,000 teenagers in the United State have been diagnosed with AIDS and an estimated 10,000 teenagers with AIDS have died.          Former New York City teacher Evelyn Mendez said, “Well, I know that there are several types of outreach programs and local clinics that encourage teens to get tested and to receive annual check ups. Sometimes there are even summer camps that incorporate this into their program.”         FDA approved the manufacture of the home HIV testing kit in 1996.  The home HIV testing kit is only available in the United States and was created so that testers can maintain their privacy.  A news reporter for Teens News Jeffrey Valfer said, “There’s positive and negative to the home HIV testing kit. The positive is that young people who think they might have contracted the virus may be embarrassed to go to their doctor to be tested. The home test makes it easier for them to do this and get the results privately.”         Mendez said that the best way to improve the awareness of the AIDS/HIV epidemic is “empowering them with information and encouraging them to be more conscious of their bodies.” Also, explaining to them that Aids/HIV does not discriminate. It can effect any age, race, creed, lifestyle, and sexuality. ]]> Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:33:00 GMT