Pride for Youth - HIV/AIDS Education

· Many young people get infected because they are having sex with an older person that they think they can trust. Studies show that young men who have older sexual partners are more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior.

· Using alcohol and other drugs can increase your risk of contracting HIV. Alcohol and drug use impair your ability to make healthy decisions such as using protection during sex.

Abstinence - not having any sexual contact with others - is a 100% safe way to avoid HIV and STD's. Some LGBTQ teenagers choose to be abstinent in order to stay safe or because of their religious/moral beliefs. You can also stay healthy by only having sex with a monogamous partner who is disease-free. However, you can't tell whether or not your partner has HIV by looking at him or her. And, your partner may not even know that he/she has HIV. That's why it's recommended that the two of you get tested together. Remember that recent risky sexual experiences (within the past 3 months) may not show up on the test. Here are some other suggestions for staying sexually healthy:

· Use latex barriers (condoms and dental dams) every time you have sex. Unprotected anal sex (barebacking) and unprotected vaginal sex are HIGH risk activities. Using a latex condom makes these activities MUCH safer. Dental dams can prevent the spread of STD's during oral sex (mouth-to-anus or mouth-to-vagina).

· Clean needles before shooting up drugs. Sharing needles can spread HIV and many other diseases. Use water and bleach to clean your works before every use.

· Get tested for HIV. Knowing your HIV status will give you more time to start preventative treatment. You will also be able to notify people that you've had sex with that they could have been exposed. HIV Testing is offered free of charge and anonymously at the New York State Department of Health HIV Testing Clinic.

· Get vaccinated for Hepatitis A and B. Young gay and bisexual men in particular frequently contract these diseases.

· Make sex safer by choosing low risk activities. Kissing, mutual masturbation, and body rubbing are virtually risk-free. Oral sex (blowjobs) is safer if you don't let the guy cum in your mouth and you wash your mouth out afterward.

· Limit the number of people you have sex with and get to know them better. The less people you are having sex with, the less likely you will contract HIV or STD's. Ask you partner about his/her HIV status. Check out your partner before having sex - look for rashes, sores, cuts. Rashes or sores could be an indication of an STD. If there are any types of cuts, an infection can be contracted easier.

Did You Know?

· As many as 1 in 4 sexually active teenagers will contract an STD. Teenagers - as an age group - comprise the largest number of STD cases in the United States.

· Young gay and bisexual men are at higher risk of contracting Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B. Hepatitis is a virus that can have serious health consequences, even death

Over half of new AIDS cases among adolescents are gay and bisexual men. Young men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM) are at highest risk for HIV/AIDS.

· Adolescents make up half of all new HIV infections, and are a growing proportion of new HIV cases.

· Most teenagers who are infected don't know it. A recent survey of young gay men found that three-quarters of those infected with HIV did not know it.

- HIV rates are particularly high among African American and Hispanic gay and bisexual men. According to recent studies, as many as 1 in 3 young gay African Americans are living with HIV.

- Lesbian and bisexual women can contract HIV and STD's as well. They face the same risks as their male counterparts if they share needles for drug use. Many lesbian-identified women have been or currently are sexually active with men. Further, female-to-female transmission of HIV and other STD's (via oral sex or sharing of sex toys) has recently been documented.