The fight against HIV/AIDS has always been about more than the search for medicine or a cure. It has been a battle for human dignity. To demonstrate that each life, regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender identity, nation of origin, or religion, has inherent value.
Queer youth in the United States are especially vulnerable to HIV infection. Of the estimated 50,000 Americans that are infected with HIV each year, approximately 34% are adolescents or young adults aged 13–29 years. Young men who have sex with men (YMSM), especially black YMSM, are at highest risk.
On average, men in the U.S. live sicker and shorter lives than their female counter parts. They face significantly higher rates of heart disease, cancer, suicide and especially HIV. Despite making up less than half of the overall population, men account for 3 out of every 4 people living with HIV. This is driven mostly by the troubling impact that HIV continues to have on gay and bisexual men. During the month of November, guys across the country are putting down their razors and growing out their facial hair to increase awareness about serious health issues facing men, from prostate cancer to HIV. Here are 10 reasons you should do the same, and help spark a conversation about the need for men to take control of their sexual health!