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CDC: Youth account for one-quarter of new HIV infections
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Youth aged 13 to 24 years accounted for 26% of new HIV infections in 2010, according to new data in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
“CDC estimates that 60% of these young people with HIV do not even know they are infected,” Kevin Fenton, MD, director of the CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis STD and TB Prevention, said during a media briefing. “It will take a concerted effort at all levels across our nation to empower young people, especially young gay and bisexual youth, with the tools and resources they need to protect themselves from HIV infection.”
Kevin Fenton
CDC researchers used National HIV Surveillance System data to determine the number of new infections among youth in 2010. Of the 12,200 new HIV infections among youth in 2010, 57.4% were among blacks, and 72.1% occurred in men who have sex with men. In addition, more risk behaviors, such as multiple sex partners, using alcohol or drugs before sex and not using condoms, were reported by MSM.
The CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics call for routine HIV testing of youth in medical settings. However, the study showed that only 13% of high school students have ever been tested for HIV. Among those who have had sex, only 22% have been tested. Among those aged 18 to 24 years, 34% were ever tested.
“This is our future generation and the bottom line is that every month, 1,000 youth are becoming infected with HIV,” Thomas Frieden, MD, director of the CDC, said during the briefing. “Given everything we know about HIV and how to prevent it after more than 30 years of fighting the disease, it is just unacceptable that young people are becoming infected at such a high rate. Reducing this rate is a top priority for the CDC.”
Frieden said because the average cost of care for a single patient is about $400,000 over the lifetime, this means that each month, another $400 million in health care costs are accrued.
“This translates to $5 billion a year in health care costs for preventable infections,” Frieden said. “Every young person should know how to protect themselves from HIV and should be empowered to do so. Protecting our next generation from HIV is key to achieving an AIDS-free generation, which is a key part of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy.”
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