New York Public Radio Station To Air Documentary on U.S. Children Who Are Growing Up HIV-Positive
WNYC, a New York City public radio station and NPR affiliate, starting today will begin airing a five-part documentary, titled "Growing Up Positive," during broadcasts of NPR's "Morning Edition" throughout the week. The documentary profiles a few of the "thousands" of children in the United States who have been born HIV-positive over the last 20 years who are "surviv[ing] into adulthood" with the use of highly active antiretroviral therapy. According to WNYC, an estimated 10,000 young people infected with HIV at birth are still alive across the country, and New York City was "once the epicenter" of vertical HIV transmission. The segments examine how the "usual travails of adolescence are profoundly complicated" by HIV/AIDS. Topics addressed in the documentary include adherence to medication schedules, drug side effects, drug resistance, "emotional ... burdens" of living with HIV/AIDS and the influence of HIV/AIDS on HIV-positive individuals' roles, responsibilities and choices (Lerner, WNYC, 3/17). Summaries and transcripts of each of the segments are available online. In addition, audio links to the segments will be available online starting today.
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