HIV Testing for Teens
On the occasion of National HIV Testing Day on June 27th, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is encouraging health care providers to offer testing to high school students.1,2 The CDC’s focus on this age group stems from a concern that HIV may be spreading among teens and young adults without their knowing it.2
According to CDC estimates, at the end of 2006 over 20% of the 1.1 million HIV-infected individuals were unaware that they were infected. And even though people aged 13-24 years accounted for only about 4% of the total HIV cases, they accounted for approximately 10% of the undiagnosed cases. Because so many of the undiagnosed infections were in teens and young adults, CDC researchers investigated HIV testing among high school students.2
Analyzing data from the 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey,3 CDC researchers reported that only about 13% of all high school students had ever been tested for HIV. Of the sexually active teens, about 22% had ever been tested for HIV. These testing rates are low since nearly 65% of students have had sex by the time they graduate from high school3 and are at risk for many sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV. HIV testing rates were better in some groups — with higher rates in African American students, those who began sexual activity at a younger age, and those who had learned about HIV/AIDS in school.
This CDC recommendation is another reminder that sexual activity can have serious consequences, especially in young people. After all, the younger an adolescent is when they start having sex, the higher their risk of an infection.4 And early detection of STIs, including HIV, is key to early treatment and management to avoid complications. Therefore, all sexually experienced adolescents and young adults should be checked by a health care provider for STIs, including HIV. One anonymous way for anyone to assess their risk for STIs is through our free tool at www.STDwizard.org, which is based on the latest CDC STD guidelines. Users can also print the final recommendations to take with them to a health care provider.
Understanding the need for STI and HIV screening in youth serves to highlight our message of risk avoidance. Refraining from all sexual activity until entering a life long, faithful relationship with an uninfected person is the only way to eliminate the sexual transmission of HIV and other STIs.
References:
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National HIV testing day — June 27, 2009. MMWR 2009;58:661. Available at: http://cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5824.pdf. Accessed 2009 June 26.
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HIV testing among high school students — United States, 2007. MMWR 2009;58:665-8. Available at: http://cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5824.pdf. Accessed 2009 June 26.
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Youth risk behavior surveillance — United States, 2007. Surveillance Summaries, June 6, 2008. MMWR 2008;57(No.SS-4). Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/yrbs/pdf/yrbss07_mmwr.pdf. Accessed 2009 June 26.
4. Pergamit MR, Huang L, Lane J. The Long Term Impact of Adolescent Risky Behaviors and Family Environment. Chicago, IL: National Opinion Research Center (NORC), University of Chicago; August 2001. Available at: http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/riskybehav01. Accessed 2009 June 25.
