The Center for Disease Control reports that of all men who have sex with men (MSM), HIV/AIDS cases increased most for ages 24 and under.

Of this group, black men accounted for 70 percent of the cases, though they only account for 17 percent of the population. White MSM are more likely to contract HIV between 30-39 years of age. Young MSM were also “less likely to indicate that they had received AIDS education in school than young males who had sex with females only.”

Of the 33 states with appropriate information, male-to-male sex was the greatest cause of HIV transmission in the United States across five years (2001-2006). From 2003-06, 34 percent of HIV transmissions were from heterosexual contact among young people.

Most alarmingly, “In one recent study, 77 percent of young, urban MSM aged [29 and under] who tested HIV-positive as part of the study mistakenly believed they were not infected. The percentage was even higher for young black HIV-infected MSM, 90 percent of whom did not know their infection status.”

The CDC advocates better sex education to prevent further spread.