Supporting the goals and ideals of National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day.

Whereas more than 30 years into the epidemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that in the United States more than 1,100,000 people are living with HIV, and every year approximately 50,000 people acquire HIV; Whereas 1 in 4 new HIV infections occurs among young people between the ages of 13 and 24, accounting for 1,000 new cases every month; Whereas 60 percent of HIV positive youth do not know they carry the HIV virus; Whereas there are approximately 76,400 young people living with HIV; Whereas African-American youth bear a disproportionate burden of the epidemic, representing 60 percent of new infections in young people; Whereas new HIV infections among 13- to 29-year-old African-American men who have sex with men (MSM) increased 48 percent from 2006 through 2009; Whereas the Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH), is the only Federal program supporting HIV prevention for adolescents in schools; Whereas the Nation’s largest Federal program dedicated to providing care and treatment for people living with HIV was named after Ryan White, a teenager from Indiana who helped educate a Nation about HIV and AIDS in the 1980s; Whereas the Ryan White Part D Program is one of the national efforts to link HIV positive youth to medical care and support services; Whereas the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act includes many provisions that benefit young people and help achieve the goal of an AIDS-free generation, including funding for sex education to help ensure that every young person in the United States is educated about HIV/AIDS, a prohibition against denying people living with HIV access to health care, HIV testing for women without a co-pay, and expanded access to Medicaid which will help more HIV-positive youth receive care; and Whereas April 10 of each year is now recognized as National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day: Now, therefore, be it That the House of Representatives— (1) supports the goals and ideals of National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day; (2) encourages State and local governments, including their public health agencies, education agencies, schools, and media organizations to recognize and support such a day; (3) promotes effective and comprehensive HIV prevention education programs both in and out of schools as a tool to ensure that all people in the United States are educated about HIV, as called for in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy; (4) urges youth-friendly and accessible health care services to better provide for the early identification of HIV through voluntary routine testing, and to connect those in need to clinically and culturally appropriate care and treatment as early as possible; (5) commends the work of AIDS service organizations, community and faith-based organizations, and school-based health centers that are providing youth-friendly, effective, prevention, treatment, care, and support services to young people living with and vulnerable to HIV/AIDS; (6) recognizes the importance of interventions that address young people’s structural barriers to living healthy lives, including accessible health care, safe and inclusive schools and communities, family acceptance, secure housing, excellent education, employment and legal protections, and poverty reduction initiatives; and (7) prioritizes youth leadership and development in order to ensure youth involvement in decisions which impact their health and well-being as well as advance a pipeline for the next generation of HIV/AIDS doctors, advocates, educators, researchers, and other professionals, as a necessary means to achieving an AIDS-free generation.

Summary: Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day. Encourages state and local governments to recognize and support such a day. Promotes effective and comprehensive HIV prevention education programs as a tool to ensure that all people in the United States are educated about HIV. Urges youth-friendly and accessible health care services to better provide for the early identification of HIV through voluntary routine testing and to connect those in need to clinically and culturally appropriate care and treatment as early as possible. Commends the work of AIDS service organizations, community and faith-based organizations, and school-based health centers that are providing youth-friendly, effective, prevention, treatment, care, and support services to young people living with and vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. Recognizes the importance of interventions that address young people's structural barriers to living healthy lives. Prioritizes youth leadership and development to ensure youth involvement in decisions that impact their health and well-being as well as to advance a pipeline for the next generation of HIV/AIDS professionals as a necessary means to achieving an AIDS-free generation.