HIV Statistics of Youth

The youth population account to 50% of the total population affected with HIV. Most of these people come under the age-group of 15 to 35. This whopping figure of HIV statistics of youth is a serious subject of concern.

Why 50% of the HIV infected patients around the world are youth?

1. The youth are the most sexually active people. At the spur of the moment, they often tend to indulge in unsafe sex, or sex with multiple partners, thereby increasing the possibility of getting infected with HIV
2. Children who inherit the disease from their mothers, often to do not feel the presence of HIV in their body, as most of his childhood falls under the seroconversion and asymptomatic period of the disease. By the time the acute symptoms
   
   of HIV is apparent, the child reaches his stage of youth.
3. Drug abuses, and drug injection with the help of Syringe is mostly common amongst the youth. They carelessly share the same needle, which might get infected after several uses.

HIV statistics of youth around the globe: The maximum effected region in the world due to HIV is the sub- Saharan desert. A total of 4.8 million are affected by the disease. 63% of 4.8 million, are youth. This region is followed by South and South East Asia, where the HIV statistics of youth is 18%. In Eastern Europe, Central Asia and South America, the statistics of youth is a decent 6%. In other parts of the worlds, the percentage of youth affected by HIV, vary from 1% to 3%. It has been studied that in nations, which are well industrialized and technically advanced, the percentage of youth affected by HIV is below 2%. This is because of the well chalked out anti HIV strategies, implemented in a mass scale, and HIV oriented education imparted to the common people through advanced mass media and technology.

Interesting facts about HIV statistics of youth:

• In an hour, two youth in USA catch the disease through sex. One fourth of the youth catch the disease due to risky sexual contacts.
• Another one fourth is due to sharing of contaminated drug needles.
• More than half of the newly affected AIDS patients around the globe are youth.

The truth remains that youth is the main cause of multiplication of the disease and in order to uproot the problems of HIV, it is very essential to curb its propagation amongst the youth. This is because, it is the youth who are the most active at sexual relationships, drug abuse, prostitution, and reproduction. It has to be kept in mind, that it is even more necessary to curb its spread amongst the women and young girls, as they pass this virus to the next generation, through reproduction. Therefore, in order to reduce its impact, the young lot, irrespective of their gender, has to be treated, through antiretroviral therapy or other HIV vaccines.

In most developed nations, high risked groups are given free counseling that promotes safe sex and the use of condoms. But that is not the case in the underdeveloped nations. Youth must be taught about this disease through sex-education and mass campaigns.