And the United Nations’ brand new report on HIV infections among teenagers in Asia is pretty upsetting.
Advertisement
“Most of the AIDS-related adolescent deaths are among those that were born with HIV and received no diagnosis or no treatment – or, children who were diagnosed, were on pediatric treatment, but when they enter that hard period of adolescence where routine is so hard, somehow slipped out of care in the transition from pediatric to adolescent programming, became sick, and died”, he said. Organizations in Greenville and Pitt County will join others nationally and worldwide today – World AIDS Day – to raise awareness about the disease and what can be done to reduce its presence.
It was the early 1990s, more than a decade after the disease arrived on the world scene, when the doctors delivered the devastating news.
Once you’ve tested negative for HIV, know how you can get infected: through sex, but also by blood or sharing needles.
In addition to stigma against homosexuals, irrational fear of HIV is another cause of discrimination that ironically contributes to the spread of the disease, said Zhang, who was found HIV positive 20 years ago.
Surveillance in the region is problematic because in many countries teenagers are not allowed to get HIV tests unless their parents sign consent forms.
“We are so proud of the fundraising efforts that went into this year’s Scotiabank AIDS Walk for Life”, said Marianne Hasold-Schilter, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, International Banking at Scotiabank.
“Terrence Higgins Trust will continue to challenge HIV stigma through positive action, support and education”.
In general, female sex workers in Asia and the Pacific are 29 times more likely to be living with HIV compared with all women of reproductive age, according to a global systematic review in low and middle-income countries.
Girls in the region are disproportionately affected, accounting for seven of 10 new infections among people 15 to 19 years old, the study found.
“In many places, AIDS is actually on the retreat and not the increase”.
Major cities such as Bangkok, Hanoi and Jakarta have emerged as new transmission hubs.
Experts have however raised concerns about the rate of new infections, particularly among young women.
The UN report speculates that the ” explosion of smart phone gay dating apps” like Grindr has led to increased risk-taking among these young people.
Advertisement
Men who have sex with men are already stigmatised, and they face a double burden of stigma when they are living with HIV－making it hard for them to access available services. If they were, testing rates and uptake of and adherence to treatment would improve dramatically. These include weak health systems, too many new infections, and funding and other resources that aren’t where they needs to be. “The world can never end AIDS if this issue is not controlled”. Henan had 82 student MSM infections, up 39 percent, while Hunan reported 154 students were infected, up 10 percent, according to local CDC centers.
