* HIV infection is rapid among adolescents; 1 in every 4 new cases occurs in people under 22
* Not only is HIV being transmitted, but other STDs as well
* In California, the age group between 15-19 years old has the highest rates of gonorrhea and chlamydia than any other group
* One explanation for increased infection rate is that teenagers are more prone to taking risks
* Also, teenagers are often having sex earlier since the epidemic broke out
* By the age of 20, 77% of girls and 86% of boys have had sex
* Another factor is that condoms are not regularly used in relationships deemed safe
* Furthermore, teenagers who have had a lot of sexual partners are less likely to use condoms
* In African-American adolescents between the ages of 13 to 19, females made up 73% of the new infections in 1993 and males made up 48%.
* Other groups that are vulnerable to HIV are adolescents who are gay, drug users, juvenile offenders, school dropouts, runaways, homeless, or migrant youth because these groups are hard to reach.
* Sex education in schools that includes info about STDs help in preventing the spread of HIV, but parents should also be involved by talking to kids about safe sex at a young age and repeating it throughout adolescence
* Studies show that informing teens early about sex makes a teen less likely to have sex and more likely to have safe sex
* In addition to telling teens to wear condoms, a sex education program or parent should instruct teens on proper usage of condoms to lessen their risk
* Also, the hard to reach and vulnerable group listed above would benefit from programs that specifically target them or individual counseling