HIV screenings should be required for all adolescents who are sexually active, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
55,000 youth between ages 13 and 24 are infected with HIV, and 48 percent of them don’t know they are infected, according to Dr. Jaime Martinez of the University of Illinois in Chicago.
"It's important to realize that those who don't know they are infected drive the epidemic," said Martinez, as quoted by Reuters Health.
Without treatment, HIV progresses to AIDS. However, newer drugs tend to keep that from happening for many years. If people who are infected are aware of it, this may help stop the transmission to others.
Most doctors only give the HIV test to those who they feel are at high risk for the infection, such as drug addicts, prostitutes and homosexuals. But the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that everyone over age 13 receive the test, regardless of risk factors.
According to Martinez, over 60 percent of adolescents report being sexually active by 12th grade, often under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
"I hope pediatricians will feel comfortable offering this test," he said, Reuters quoted.
The research was published in the journal Pediatrics.
