November 2003

Risk to Young People Is Rising

Every 14 seconds a person between the ages of 15 and 24 becomes infected with HIV, the U.N. Population Fund reported early in October. That amounts to 6,000 new cases each day. Women are disproportionately affected: 67% of HIV-positive young people in sub-Saharan Africa and 62% in South Asia are women. Poverty is a major cause; as many as 4 million young women become involved in sex trafficking each year, most unwillingly. Discussing sexual behavior in many countries continues to be taboo. As a result, in Somalia, 74% of adolescent girls have not heard about AIDS, and only 1% know how to protect themselves. The report calls for age-appropriate information about sexuality using the ABC prevention message: abstain from sexual activity, be faithful to one partner, use condoms.