04.10.2018
Media

Advocates for Youth and Youth Activists to Shine Light on Impact of HIV and AIDS on Young People during National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day

Allied Organizations to Hold Events across the Country to Raise Awareness of Role Young People Play in HIV and AIDS Fight

Washington – In honor of National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day (NYHAAD) on April 10, Advocates for Youth, an organization that champions efforts to help young people make informed and responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual health, will partner with youth activists to raise awareness of the impact of HIV and AIDS on young people. Observance of the day will feature a briefing on Capitol Hill and a Twitter chat, as well as events sponsored by more than 20 allied organizations in cities throughout the country to talk about the prevalence of HIV and AIDS among young people and highlight their work to fight the disease and the stigma surrounding it. Mariah Johnson, a student at Tidewater Community College and NYHAAD Youth Ambassador will be leading testing efforts on campus, distributing free condoms, and hosting events around sexual health. ““Hosting free HIV screenings on my campus has helped open up the conversation on safe sex and life with HIV. It is important that we continue to do this work in a shame-free way. The fear and stigma is still present today, which is why it is important to educate others,” said Mariah.

One in five new HIV infections occur in people ages 13 to 24, making youth activism imperative in the fight for an AIDS-free generation. On National Youth HIV &AIDS Awareness Day, young people will ask their peers and policymakers to sign the National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day Bill of Rights that calls for the right to live free from oppression, the rights to education, prevention, treatment and care, and the right to live without criminalization, discrimination and stigma.

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EVENT DETAILS:

Capitol Hill Briefing:

National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day Briefing: Positively PowerFULL: Young People Building an AIDS Free World

In Conjunction with Congresswoman Barbara Lee and the Congressional HIV/AIDS Caucus

Date April 16, 9am

Location Rayburn Congressional Office Building

Moderated by: Louis Ortiz-Fonseca, Advocates for Youth

·         Maxx Boykin, Senior Coordinator at Black AIDS Institute

·         Erick Dillard, PrEP Navigator and Youth Resource member

·         Mariah Johnson, Young Women of Color for Reproductive Justice Leadership Council and NYHAAD Ambassador

·         Sable Nelson, Policy Analyst, NMAC

 

 

Please note that youth speakers, policy experts from Advocates for Youth and president of Advocates for Youth, Debra Hauser are all available for interviews. Please contact Kayla Ermanni at Kayla.Ermanni@berlinrosen.com to schedule an interview or for more information on the above events.

More information on how to host your own event can be found here and please follow along on social media use the hashtag #NYHAAD.

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About Advocates for Youth:

Advocates for Youth is a 501(c)3 organization that champions efforts that help young people make informed and responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual health. Advocates believes it can best serve the field by boldly advocating for a more positive and realistic approach to adolescent sexual health. Advocates focuses its work on young people ages 14-25 in the U.S. and around the globe.