April 8, 2016

BE A PART OF NATIONAL YOUTH HIV AND AIDS AWARENESS DAY

Contact:
Communications Office
NewsMedia@flhealth.gov
(850) 245-4111

Tallahassee, Fla.—The Florida Department of Health supports the 4^th annual observance of National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day on April 10. This observance aims to educate the public about the impact of HIV/AIDS on young people and highlights the work young people are doing across the country to respond to the disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in four new HIV infections in the U.S. is among youth ages 13 to 24.

“Our young people have not seen the impact that HIV had on this country in the 1980s so it is important that we educate our youth on prevention. These are the future leaders of our state and they are the key to eliminating new HIV/AIDS diagnoses,” said Interim State Surgeon General Dr. Celeste Philip. “Working locally in our communities, we share the message of prevention, testing and treatment to all Floridians. It is important for all members in a community to be active in the fight against HIV/AIDS.”

Most people diagnosed with AIDS before the age of 30 were infected with HIV in their teens or early twenties. This illustrates the importance of educating young people on prevention so that they have the resources needed to protect themselves.

National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day is an opportunity to collaborate with schools, faith-based organizations and community organizations to share the message of prevention and testing. Youth leaders play a great role in educating their peers and helping to stop the spread of new infections. Through the efforts of our 67 local county health departments, we are committed to surveillance, education, prevention, testing, counseling, care and treatment for HIV/AIDS.

Testing can be completed at county health departments or you can locate HIV counseling, testing and referral sites using this interactive map. 

Learn more about National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day on the national website.

About the Florida Department of Health

The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

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