Bay Area Young (BAY) Positives is First HIV Agency to Offer HIV Prevention and Education to Secually Active Youth Through Live-Chat.

San Francisco - October 26, 2006 - Youth who find out they are HIV positive now have a new way of getting emotional support.

In April 2006, Bay Area Young Positives celebrated a first by incorporating a live-chat feature to its website. The agency has partnered with Velaro, Inc., a recognized leader in live help solutions, to provide youth the option of having a real-time confidential chat with a trained health educator.

"Live-chat is a remarkably innovative, empowering, and confidential alternative for those youth who wish to divulge extremely personal information," said Curtis Moore, MPH, Executive Director of Bay Area Young Positives. He also stated that BAY Positives does not receive funding to implement this intervention but "as a youth agency, it is imperative for us to utilize technology to disseminate vital information in a style youth will embrace."

Even though half of all new HIV infections occur in young people aged 15 to 24, most do not think they are at risk. According to Catherine Toyooka, Program Director and Resident Sexpert, "Many youth are unaware of their potential risk of HIV infection which is mostly due to their lack of HIV transmission knowledge. Also, youth seldom have anyone to turn to who they trust will provide them with accurate sex related information."

The agency's unique strategy is popular among youth since they can have a confidential chat with a trained health educator who will approach them in a non-judgmental, sex-positive manner. After all, the agency’s unofficial motto is "Sex Spoken Here."

Since 1990, BAY Positives has been committed to reducing the number of new HIV infections in the young gay/bi/queer/same sex loving community. It was the world’s first peer based non-profit agency to support HIV positive youth under 26. In 2002, the agency pioneered youth focused internet outreach in response to the increase in HIV/STD infections stemming from online encounters. BAY Positives now has the distinction of being the first known HIV youth agency to include a live-chat option to its website.

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