Socially loud! Can you hear us?

NBJC

NBJC News

NBJC Observes National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day

Since 2013, April 10th has been recognized as National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day (NYHAAD) . NBJC joins youth leaders and activists, advocates, families and communities across our nation on this day with the intention of educating the broader public about the unique impact of HIV/AIDS on young people, especially youth of color. Young people today are the first generation to have never known a world without HIV/AIDS, but continue to be disproportionately infected and affected by the preventable disease. The United States is leading the world with tools to prevent and treat HIV, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP),  and  antiretroviral therapy (ART) . However, the lack of comprehensive, LGBTQ-inclusive sexual health education in American schools–combined with the detrimental impact of stigma, racism, poverty and other negative societal realities–place our young people at increased risk to be diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.

 

The facts are staggering when it comes to HIV/AIDS and America's youth:

  • In the U.S., one in four new HIV infections is among youth ages 13 to 24.

     

  • Every month, 1,000 young people are infected with HIV and over 76,400 young people are currently living with HIV across the country.

     

  • Young people, ages 15-29, represent 25% of the sexually experienced population yet acquire nearly 50% of all new sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV.

     

  • Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men account for most new HIV infections in the 13 to 24 age group.

  • Black youth, specifically Black gay/bisexual men and transgender women, are disproportionately reflected in these numbers.

#AllWeNeedIsYOU on #NYHAAD

 

There is an urgent need for action within the collective Black family to stand up and declare the continuous spread of HIV/AIDS in our communities as unacceptable, especially the impact it continues to have on our Black youth. We have the tools to end the epidemic, but all we need is everyone in our families and communities to be a part of the solution #AllWeNeedIsYOU.

 

  • As we recognize NYHAAD, be a part of the solution by supporting the day on your social media platforms utilizing #NYHAAD and the official hashtag of NBJC's Black LGBT Health & Wellness Initiative (#AllWeNeedIsYOU) to call to action your followers to get the word out about the plight of HIV on our youth. Add your stories, photos and video links to this conversation along with #NYHAAD & #AllWeNeedIsYOU at the end of your tweets and photo posts;

     

  • Sign your name to the NYHAAD Bill of Rights and stand publicly for the rights of young people to fight HIV/AIDS; and

     

  • Use #NYHAADRights on social media to tell people this #NYHAAD what the rights of young people in the wake of the HIV/AIDS epidemic are!

 

By

The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) is a civil rights organization dedicated to the empowerment of Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and same gender loving (LGBTQ/SGL) people, including people living with HIV/AIDS.