Star Power Dispels Lack of Youth Concern About HIV/AIDS Infection

DAA Expanding Prevention Message in U.S.

LOS ANGELES, June 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Katy Perry does it.  So does Yoko Ono, Cyndi Lauper and Dita Von Teese.  Tokio Hotel, Dangerous Muse, Pharrell Williams/N.E.R.D and Estelle, they do too.  They all do it.  Publicly.  Proudly.

Each of these stars is telling youth throughout the world that HIV/AIDS is still a deadly health risk and entirely preventable.

They're ambassadors for Designers Against AIDS (www.designersagainstaids.com) (DAA), a nonprofit initiative that involves celebrities from the worlds of music, fashion, design, arts, sports and film to raise awareness and curiosity.  DAA's message is simple and straightforward: Prevention is the only cure for HIV/AIDS – protect yourself and your partner(s).

This message is particularly important for both young American males and females, ages 15-25, especially African Americans and Hispanics.  Why?  Research shows that kids are having risky sex at earlier ages and do not seem to be concerned about becoming infected with HIV.  

According to the latest Centers For Disease Control and Prevention statistics, they should be:

• HIV/AIDS infections in the United States grew 15 percent between 2004 and 2007.  
• Heterosexual contact led to about one-third of new HIV and AIDS diagnoses in 2006.
• Americans 13-24 years of age represented 13 percent of all people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in 2008.  
• African Americans in that age group accounted for 55 percent of those infections.  
• Males, mostly males who have sex with men, in that age group represent 62 percent of all infections.
• More than 30 percent of HIV diagnoses in 2007 were women.

DAA is calling on all young Americans 15-25 to wake up, be concerned about the very real risks of getting this "forgotten disease" and visit its website to get nuts and bolts prevention information. Additional information is available through the organization's Fashion Against AIDS project (www.fashionagainstaids.com) in Hennes & Mauritz stores.

SOURCE Designers Against AIDS