April 10 is National Youth and AIDS Awareness Day

By Eric Brus

The fourth annual National Youth HIV and AIDS Awareness Day (NYHAAD) is being observed this year on Sunday, April 10. Many national, state, and private organizations are partners or supporters of NYHAAD. The day's founding partners include: Advocates for Youth; AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth, and Families; AIDS United; National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors; National Coalition of STD Directors; NMAC; and Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States.

According to Advocates for Youth, the establishment of NYHAAD is a step toward acknowledging and addressing the needs of young people in the HIV and AIDS response. Each year, young activists in high schools and at colleges and universities across the country use the day to organize and educate about HIV and AIDS. They promote HIV testing, fight stigma, and start the necessary conversations to deal honestly and effectively with the challenges of fighting HIV/AIDS among youth.

To support activities commemorating NYHAAD, we have compiled an annotated list of online resources focusing on HIV/AIDS among children, adolescents, and young adults.

General Information

National Youth HIV and AIDS Awareness Day: This is the web page for NYHAAD. It provides background information about the day, together with links to information resources focusing on HIV/AIDS among young persons.

Children and HIV. Fact sheet from AIDS InfoNet. Also available in Spanish and Russian.

HIV Among Youth. Fact sheet from CDC.

Vital Signs: HIV Infection, Testing, and Risk Behaviors Among Youths -- United States. Article from the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

Vital Signs: HIV Among Youth in the U.S. Infographic from CDC.

Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance - United States, 2013. Article from MMWR.

HIV Surveillance in Adolescents and Young Adults. Slide set from CDC.

Young People, Adolescents, and HIV/AIDS. (from Avert) -- This page provides general information about HIV among youth and has links to many resources focusing on youth.

Being Young and Positive. (from Avert) - Information about HIV/AIDS for young persons. Topics include: taking responsibility for your health, telling your friends, having relationships, and having sex.

HIV Prevention Resources for Youth-Serving Professionals. (from Advocates for Youth) -- This page includes more than 20 lesson plans, tools, guidelines, strategy documents, and other resources for professionals

HIV Information for Parents (from Advocates for Youth). This page includes a variety of resources focusing on sexuality and parent-child communication skills.

Improving Care for Youth Living with HIV. Brief report from HRSA.

Fact Sheets: