Today, Dec. 1, 2012, we symbol a 24th annual World AIDS Day given it was initial celebrated in 1988. World AIDS Day has always been an arise for renewing a coercion in a quarrel opposite AIDS, and this year is no different. In fact, this year new information are forcing us to confront a unfortunate and sobering challenge: Although a rate of new HIV infections has intended off in many demographics in America, there is one organisation in that it is still rising: immature people.
According to new information from a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each month approximately 1,000 some-more immature people ages 13 to 24 turn HIV-positive. Meanwhile, 60 percent of HIV-positive immature people don’t know they’ve engaged a virus, nonetheless usually 13 percent of high propagandize students have been tested. This predicament of recognition is withdrawal a immature people, and immature black group in particular, unacceptably vulnerable.
We have to act. If we are to grasp an AIDS-free generation, we contingency immediately exercise a recommendations of a U.S. Preventive Task Force, a CDC and a American Academy of Pediatrics pursuit for slight HIV contrast for all people ages 15 to 65. According to CDC Director Thomas Frieden, really few people decrease to take an HIV exam when it is offered, though many doctors destroy to embody HIV contrast as partial of a customary blood work for an annual physical. This must change.
For many years a Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) has advocated for extensive passionate health preparation for a immature people, to learn them about their disadvantage to HIV and how to strengthen themselves. We also continue to support innovative programs providing passionate health services for populations during biggest risk of HIV infection, including immature people and generally LGBT youth.
Currently a substructure is ancillary some-more than 10 village organizations providing services for immature people in locations as different as Atlanta, Austin, Birmingham, Charlotte, Jacksonville, Houston, Orlando, Philadelphia and Virginia Beach. EJAF is also ancillary girl activism to foster appropriation for HIV services and passionate health preparation programs for immature people.
For example, in Philadelphia EJAF supports a Attic Youth Center in a efforts to yield a extensive array of health services, amicable services and counterpart support to scarcely 1,000 LGBT youth. A series of those immature people are also participating in process forums to assistance a Philadelphia Department of Public Health and internal health centers know how best to offer LGBT youth.
In Orlando EJAF supports a internal section of Planned Parenthood, that works with a Orlando LGBT Center and an LGBT girl network called a Zebra Coalition to control a “Teens in Charge” program, providing accurate passionate health information and entrance to health services. This bold module has won a courtesy and support of many in a Orlando area, including internal churches, newspapers and radio and radio stations, all of whom are assisting amplify a caring summary while joining immature LGBT people to services and support when they need it.
In Austin an classification called Out Youth provides outreach, education, amicable events and health services for LGBT youth. In partnership with a Texas Gay-Straight Alliance Network, that is housed during Out Youth, some-more than 1,500 immature people are reached each year. With EJAF support, Out Youth has been means to press brazen with an HIV contrast debate and anticipates being means to boost HIV contrast rates among LGBT girl by 15 to 20 percent.
We can’t be confident with a standing quo, since a standing quo means that we will never comprehend a dream of an AIDS-free generation. We contingency fight, and end, a relief about a HIV/AIDS widespread in this country. And we contingency stop a active stupidity of a needs of a marginalized and a voiceless.
An AIDS-free era is within a grasp, though we have to stop watchful for someone else to do something about it. It is adult to us to do a improved pursuit of educating a immature people about their passionate health. It is adult to us to stop ignoring a needs of LGBT girl and people of color.
Each of us can do something right now to assistance finish a epidemic. Get tested — and while you’re during it, titillate your alloy to adopt HIV contrast as a customary of care. Encourage others, generally a immature people in your lives, to get tested, too. Speak out for extensive passionate health programming in your schools. And titillate your local, state and sovereign member to yield full appropriation for HIV/AIDS education, contrast and diagnosis programs.
The many exposed among us need a help. They need us to make a voices heard. If we wish to grasp an AIDS-free generation, if we wish to finish AIDS, we have to act.
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