I am constantly referring to the “youth of today” which in general means the young people ages 12-19 which in DC means majority are Black living in the DC area.
How Does HIV/AIDS affect the “youth of today” in DC?
Very seriously.
Our community risks losing a new generation to HIV.
Washington, D.C. has one of the highest AIDS rates in the country. But very few of those infected are getting the treatment they need. Between 1,000 and 1,500 infected young people live in the Washington, D.C. area. Yet only 100 of them are receiving medical care.
Across the nation, half of all new HIV infections occur among people under the age of 25. But as many as one third of all HIV-infected young people do not know they carry the virus.
With so much ignorance, and such limited healthcare, young people face the highest risk of infection. They also live in a culture that heightens those risks. Adolescents tend to distrust adults who could help them, yet face intense pressure to become sexually active at an early age.
How do we help young people to protect themselves?
MetroTeenAIDS speaks to youth in their own language and in their own space. With our team of specially trained young people, working alongside professionals, we reach out to them in schools, nightclubs, youth centers, shelters and the streets.
Thank you to the people that I know are currently serving the youth at Metro TeenAids: Kafui Doe and Gorkie Balthazar
(pictured below L-R Gorkie, Kafui, me)
I have personally had the opportunity to meet amazing youth that are doing amazing things in their lives from fashion, to art, to rap, to sports these are the leaders in the DC community and I would like to share a few with you.
Thank you to Ashley Blakeney, Aaron the Bomb dot com, India Fresh, Chiron Hunt aka Chevy, Crucial Thoughtz, Rashad Tucker, TeVaughn Riot Brunson, Shomari Eccentric.inc, Daniel Lavish Adonis Johnson for leading the community “youth of today” and always offering to be leaders in the community or to reach a little higher!
