November 28, 2012 (USA TODAY) -- More than 30 years after the
beginning of the AIDS epidemic, young people are again taking
dangerous risks with their lives, according to a new report from
the Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention. About 1,000
Americans ages 13 to 24 are newly infected each month with HIV,
the virus that causes AIDS, according to CDC data released for
the first time. About 60% of HIV-positive young people have no
idea that they're infected, according to the report released
Tuesday. That rate is far higher than in the general population,
in which 20% of HIV-positive patients are unaware of their
status. Young people ages 13 to 24 account for more than a
quarter of the 50,000 new HIV infections each year, the CDC
says. About 1.2 million Americans have HIV or AIDS. "This is our
future generation," says CDC director Thomas Frieden. "That so
many young people become infected with HIV each year is a
preventable tragedy." And while new HIV infections have leveled
off among most groups, they