Young people are particularly vulnerable.
Here in Massachusetts, young adults in their twenties account for one in five reported AIDS cases. Because the incubation period between HIV infection and an AIDS diagnosis can be up to ten years, we know that most of these individuals were infected as teenagers. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health projects that more than 40,000 people in Massachusetts will be living with HIV disease by mid-1999. Accurate, comprehensive and accessible information is the only effective means to reduce the incidence of new infections. The Massachusetts AIDS Policy Task Force strongly urges passage of these bills.