Young adults under the age of 25 continue to be at risk for HIV/AIDS

AIDS diagnoses are rising with 40,000 new cases of HIV diagnosed annually. A quarter of those infected with HIV don’t know it.

According to a 2007 Report published by the Kaiser Family Foundation, the number of new HIV infections annually has reached 40,000. Approximately 1.2 million people are currently living with HIV/AIDS, including more than 400,000 with AIDS. In addition, twenty-five percent of those infected with HIV do not know it. HIV transmission has changed over time. Heterosexual transmission accounts for a growing share of new AIDS cases, rising from 3 percent in 1985 to 31 percent in 2005. Women also account for a growing share of AIDS diagnoses, rising from 8 percent in 1985 to 27 percent in 2005. Young people under age 25 are mainly infected through sex and continue to be at risk. Among youth, teen girls and minorities have been particularly affected. In 2005, teen girls represented 43% of AIDS cases reported among 13-19 year olds.¹

¹HIV/AIDS Policy Fact Sheet: The HIV/AIDS Epidemic in the United States, The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, July 2007.

Printed with permission from the Concerned Parents Report.