More than 1.1 million people in the U.S. are living with HIV infection, and almost 1 out of 6 are unaware of their condition.
According to AIDS.gov, “HIV weakens your immune system by destroying important cells that fight disease and infection. A “deficient” immune system can’t protect you.”
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund, the number of adolescent deaths from AIDS have tripled since 2000 despite efforts to reduce infections. The majority of reported cases are in Sahara, Africa.
As stated in the UNICEF study, 26 adolescents are infected every hour. Also, just 1 in every 10 adolescents in the Sahara region are tested for HIV.
“It is critical that young people who are HIV-positive have access to treatment, care and support,” said Craig McClure, head of UNICEF’s global HIV/AIDS programmes, at the Critical Thinking Forum in Johannesburg today. “At the same time, those who are HIV-negative must have access to the knowledge and means to help them to stay that way.”
As reported in the UNICEF article:
• The new data states that most adolescents who die of AIDS-related illnesses acquired HIV when they were infants, 10 to 15 years ago, when fewer pregnant women and mothers living with HIV received antiretroviral medicines to prevent HIV transmission from mother to child. These children have survived into their teenage years, sometimes without knowing their HIV status.
“The gains we have made on preventing mother to child transmission are laudable, and to be celebrated,” McClure added, “but immediate investments are needed to get life-saving treatment to children and adolescents who are infected.”
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REFERENCES:
1. “U.S. Statistics.” AIDS.gov. AIDS.gov, n.d. Web. 5 Dec. 2015.
2. “What Is HIV/AIDS?” AIDS.gov. AIDS.gov, n.d. Web. 5 Dec. 2015.
3. “Adolescent Deaths from AIDS Have Tripled since 2000.” CNN. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2015.
4. “Adolescent Deaths from AIDS Tripled since 2000.” UNICEF. UNICEF, n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2015.
