The effects of an undereducated generation are already showing. In America, one half of new HIV infections occur in people under the age of 25. With a projected 40,000 infections per year, that means 20,000 people aged 25 and younger are contracting HIV annually. A change in attitude and understanding must be made. If complacency towards AIDS becomes the norm in our generation, infection rates will creep back towards the dismal numbers our nation faced in the mid-1980s.
Education is the surest way to stop history from repeating itself.
As young adults, we owe it to ourselves to learn as much as we can about AIDS, and educational resources are readily available. Check your school, search for reliable health sites on the net, talk to your doctor, call your local Planned Parenthood. Ask questions and talk with your family and friends. Take some proactive steps to decrease the risk of HIV to you and the people you care about. Decide to keep yourself healthy, and take actions that support your decision.