US Facts on HIV/AIDS (specific to young African American/s)
· In 2004; 4,883 young people were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. That’s 13% of the U.S. diagnosed population.
· African Americans were disproportionately affected by the HIV Infection and account for 55% of all HIV infected persons between the ages of 13 -24.
US Facts on Teen Pregnancy
· The US has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the world, 1/3 of these girls get pregnant before the age of 20.
· Teenage Mothers are more likely to drop out of High School, be and remain single parents and score much lower in math and reading comprehension tests.
· 68% of African American high school students are more likely to have had intercourse than their racial counterparts; of this percentage African American girls ages 15 to 19 are the highest for teen pregnancy. Latinas are the highest for actual birth rate. When you talk about teens and sex you have to specifically talk about HIV/AIDS
Combined Facts on Pregnant Teens with HIV/AIDS
· Perinatal HIV transmission has been found in an estimated 100/200 infants in the US annually. 65% of these babies are African American.
· HIV/AIDS was diagnosed for an estimated 142 children under the age 13 (Of the infected). Transmission was perinatal (most casses).
· Of perinatally infected persons living with this disease in 2005, 66% were BLACK and 20% Hispanic. (76% of the infected population are minorities)
· Of 68 children for whom AIDS was diagnosed in 2005, 67 were infected perinatally.
· Since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic 8,460 children have been infected perinatally with 4,800 (57%) who have died. Majority of these children are BLACK.
Causes – living in poverty, not enough education on sex much less HIV/AIDS. No access to prevention or general health assistance.
