- 9 -
accessHealthNews.net
January 2022
Volume 8 | Issue No. 53
H
IV is no longer a death sentence. With
medications such as pre-exposure
prophylaxis (PrEP) and antiretroviral therapy
(ART), new HIV infections can be prevented
and the virus can be suppressed in HIV-
positive individuals allowing them to live longer,
healthier lives.
But decades-old stigma and misinformation
prevent many from accessing the care they
need. Poor sex education and health care
access barriers across the U.S. only deepen this
stigma and contribute to high infection rates.
THE EFFECTS OF MISINFORMATION AND LACK OF
EDUCATION
According to "Investing in the Health and
Well-Being of Young Adults," serious illnesses
and diseases, such as HIV, are more easily
managed or avoided altogether when young
adults engage in early wellness screenings
and practices. To reduce the likelihood of
contracting HIV among at-risk young adults,
it's necessary to implement screenings and
education about HIV stigma, safe sex, and
preventive medications prior to the age they
begin engaging in sexual activity and other
high-risk behaviors.
"Well, there's a direct correlation with a lack
of sexual health education and HIV in young
folks between the ages of 13 and 24," said
J. Maurice McCants-Pearsall, director of HIV
and health equity at Human Rights Campaign.
"That's undeniable."
Although from 2015 to 2019, new infections
among young gay and bisexual men ages 13-
24 dropped 33 percent overall, young gay and
bisexual men accounted for 83 percent of new
diagnoses in the age group. Black and Latinx
communities continue to be disproportionately
affected with young Black and Latinx gay and
bisexual men making up 42 percent of new
diagnoses among young men.
HIV's hard-hitting impact on Black and Latinx
communities is also due to social determinants
of health that aren't being addressed for
communities of color. "It's not just enough to
give someone a blue magical pill and say, 'Oh,
this is going to prevent you from contracting
HIV,'" McCants-Pearsal said. "No, we have to
have comprehensive health care for folks, then
address all their needs from mental health to
behavioral health services, to increased access
to medical treatment and/or prevention
services … equal access to educational,
employment opportunities, housing."
Nearly a fifth of LGBTQ+ young adults say
they have avoided seeking medical care out
of fear of discrimination, according to a poll
conducted by Harvard University. Avoiding
medical care can lead to serious negative
health effects, including not being aware of
one's HIV status.
Some experts refer
to PrEP as a 'game
changer' in the fight
against HIV.
"The argument is
over about PrEP. If
you take the drug, it
works, not only in a
clinical trial but in
the field."
