The big picture: young people and HIV and AIDS

Young people are at the centre of the HIV and AIDS crisis.

© UNICEF/HQ 02-0320/Pirozzi

Spreading the word.

An estimated 9.8 million young people (aged 15–24) are living with HIV today. Each day, nearly 6,000 more are infected, as well as 1,800 infants who contract the virus from their mothers during pregnancy or birth, or through breastfeeding. And 15 million children worldwide have lost one or both parents to AIDS.

But young people are not just at the centre of the crisis. They — you — are crucial to a lasting solution. In areas where HIV infection rates are levelling off or actually declining, it’s mainly because young men and women are changing their behaviour. And young people are also taking a lead in passing on the vital information that prompts such change.

Vulnerable young people

For a variety of reasons – cultural, political and economic – some young people are more vulnerable to infection than others. For example, girls are at higher risk in some parts of the world. This is partly because girls are more likely to be pressured into having sex and less likely to be able to control with whom, when and how they have sex. Also, social attitudes to sex and sex education may make it more difficult for girls to get the information they need to protect themselves from the virus.

Other young people are likely to be infected with HIV because they inject illegal drugs (sharing unsterilized needles is a common route for infection). Or they may be more at risk because they are poor or homeless, which makes them more vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, for example by being forced to have sex for money. Children orphaned by AIDS are themselves particularly vulnerable to infection because they often have no one to care for or protect them, or any means of earning a living.

Call to action

We all have a part to play in fighting the HIV and AIDS crisis. First and foremost we must make sure everyone has accurate information about how the virus is spread and how they can protect themselves. Making sure everyone can develop the skills and self-confidence to keep safe in difficult situations is also critical, as is having access to services, such as counselling, treatment and HIV testing. And all adults – guardians and official leaders – must do everything they can to make sure our communities are safe and young people are supported.

These pages aim to give you the information you need to keep yourself safe and to help in the fight against the spread of HIV and AIDS.