Wednesday, April 10, marks National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day (NYHAAD) 2019. Launched by Advocates for Youth in 2013, the event highlights the need for testing, prevention and treatment among youth and promotes awareness of their HIV-related needs.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey from 2007 to 2017 show that the proportion of high school students who ever had sex was 48 percent in 2007 compared with 40 percent in 2017. The report notes that “although overall students are making better decisions about their health, there are still too many students reporting risky sexual behaviors, high-risk substance use, violence victimization and poor mental health.” In fact, the CDC also states:

  • 1 in 5 new HIV diagnoses were among people ages 13 to 24

  • Only 9 percent of high school students have ever been tested for HIV.

Visit YouthAIDSDay.org to learn more about NYHAAD and to find graphics and stats to download and share on social media (such as those cited in this article). The site is also home to the NYHAAD Bill of Rights, which you can read below:

NYHAAD Bill of Rights

Courtesy of NYHAAD

In related news, the POZ Spotlight in the current issue of the magazine highlights the social media buzz on youth and advocacy. For more, click here.

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What young #MSM need. Tomorrow is National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. #NYHAAD #HIV #AIDS #Louisiana

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What young #women need.. April 10th is National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. #NYHAAD #HIV #AIDS #Louisiana

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