New York Times Profiles Young Adults, Pre-Teens Who Were Born HIV-Positive, Examines Their Unique Challenges

The New York Times on Sunday profiled several young adults, teenagers and pre-teens who were born HIV-positive, the difficulties their families face about how and when to educate them about HIV/AIDS and the difficulties they face coping with a lifetime of disease. As antiretroviral treatment has improved, a "generation of young people whose unexpected maturation is both a miracle and an extraordinary challenge" has emerged, the Times reports. However, because HIV-positive people often face stigma in the United States and because talking about HIV often involves discussions of unprotected sex or other topics usually reserved for older children or adults, some parents decide to wait until their HIV-positive children are teenagers before telling them they are HIV-positive. In 1990, about 2,000 children nationwide were born HIV-positive. Because drugs are available that drastically reduce the risk of transmitting HIV during pregnancy or delivery, only about 200 HIV-positive infants are born annually in the United States today (Dee, New York Times, 6/26).