“While there were encouraging signs across all races and ethnicities in terms of decreased sexual activity, it is alarming that condom use dropped so significantly” said Linda H. Scruggs, Director of NMAC’s Leadership Pipeline and Youth Initiative. “This report indicates that youth, particularly youth of color, are engaging in riskier behavior and are at greater chance of contracting HIV or other STDs. It also shows that, with a decreased use of condoms, we will need to look at biomedical prevention methods, like Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP).”
“While there is no data in this update about LGBTQ youth, we know that data is coming soon and we look forward to seeing it,” said Scruggs.
“Through NMAC’s Youth Initiative and our Building Young Leaders of Color (BYLOC), we know that youth are eager to take a leadership role in the fight against HIV in their communities and with their peers,” said Scruggs. “The data from this update and coming updates gives them the information they need to effectively communicate with their peers and develop HIV fighting strategies for their communities.”
