Less Than 50 Percent Sexually Active US Teens get Tested for HIV: CDC

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Majority of sexually active teens and young adults don't get as much HIV testing as recommended, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Those who received tests account for only about 25 percent of high school students and less than 35 percent of young adults ages 18 to 24, according to the CDC report published on the journal Pediatrics.

It is estimated that more than 25,000 adolescents and young adults may have been HIV-infected but are unaware because they did not get tested. Those that are most at risk of being infected are gays, bisexuals, men that have sexual intercourse with other men and black females.

"Without HIV testing and diagnosis, adolescents and young adults cannot take advantage of HIV care and treatment that can improve their health and reduce the risk of transmission to others," the authors wrote in a press release.

The CDC gathered their data on high school students from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey and young adults from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. The report also notes that there may be factors that hinder some teens and young adults from getting tested. Some barriers may include lack of sexual health education, little access to HIV treatment centers and little to no knowledge of provider recommendations.

"HIV disproportionately affects adolescents and young adults compared with the overall population. The CDC recommends routine HIV screening for Americans aged 13 to 64, yet 50% of adolescents and young adults with HIV remain undiagnosed," the authors wrote.

Last December, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that all children under 21 years old be regularly tested for HIV infection, depression, and high cholesterol. According to UPI, the agency aims to launch a preventative health campaign so as to minimize health concerns in the future.

As for the HIV screenings among the at-risk groups, the authors state that recommendations from health providers could greatly help in getting them to get tested.

"Multipronged testing strategies, including provider education, system-level interventions in clinical settings, adolescent-friendly testing services, and sexual health education will likely be needed to increase testing and reduce the percentage of adolescents and young adults living with HIV infection," the authors said.

An expert told Reuters that anonymity and testing affordability are also barriers among young people. Schools, parents and other persons of authority should be more open about sexual health topics as well. Young people who have an open and great relationship with their parents are usually more educated and well-informed with regards to sexual health topics and sexually transmitted diseases.