ADOLESCENT HIV INFECTION

Of the 7,446 cases of HIV infection ever reported among adolescents (ages 13-19), males made up close to 44 percent and represented the same proportion of the new HIV infection cases reported in 2002 among adolescents. Over half of these new cases were transmitted by men having sex with men. In 33 percent of new adolescent male cases, the risk category was not reported. From 1981 through 2002, Black males were more likely to report HIV infection and comprised almost 60 percent of the infected male adolescent population.

More than half of adolescent HIV infection cases ever reported, 56 percent, were among females. The percentage of new HIV infection cases in adolescent females has been decreasing in recent years. Of the new cases in 2002, about 40 percent acquired HIV infection through heterosexual contact and 5.2 percent were injecting drug users. The risk category was not reported for 54 percent of new adolescent female cases in 2002. Similar to the trend among adolescent males, Black females are significantly more likely to contract HIV and comprised 60 percent of female adolescents living with HIV infection.

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