UN, UNICEF report hidden epidemic of HIV among young gay dating app users in Asia-Pacific

The popular use of mobile dating apps has become a major component in a new HIV epidemic with gay teenagers in Asia and the Pacific. The said data has been gathered via a collaboration between the United Nations and UNICEF.

Released on Monday, November 30, ahead of World AIDS Day, the two year study conducted by the United Nations has discovered that HIV infections are more prevalent in the 10-19 year old gay men demographic.

The people affected most by the epidemic are young men who have sex with other men as well as those in the sex trade, drug users that use needles, and transgender people.

UNICEF reports that, "There were an estimated 50,000 new HIV infections among adolescents aged 15-19 in 2014, accounting for 15 per cent of new infections."

Wing-Sie Cheng, speaking with The Guardian, HIV/AIDS adviser for UNICEF in East Asia and the Pacific, describes the problem at hand.

"Young gay men themselves have consistently told us that they are now using mobile dating apps to meet up for sex, and are having more casual sex with more people as a result. We know that this kind of risky behavior increases the spread of HIV. We are therefore convinced that there is a link, and that we need to work better with mobile app providers to share information about HIV and protect the health of adolescents."

The growth and mortality of AIDS with the adolescents of the region are due, in part, to social stigmas, and, in certain countries, those under 18 are not allowed to get a HIV text without parental consent. Because of these fears and regulations, they're more unlikely to get checked for the disease, or go for treatment. Less than half afflicted receive treatment and because of that deaths have risen over the past decade.

The report was published by the Asia-Pacific Inter-Agency Task Team on Young Key Populations, an agency including UNICEF, UNAIDS and others. Called "Adolescent: Under the Radar in the Asia-Pacific AIDS Response, the announcement urged governments to put more effort into HIV and sexual education policies into effect. The Telegraph explains more.

"These should include comprehensive sexuality education in schools and through social media, information on where to get an HIV text, condom use, and HIV testing and treatment services designed for adolescents."

In the Asia-Pacific region, 18 countries criminalize same-sex relationships. Papua New Guinea and the Philippines have the highest numbers of people with the disease in the region, with almost 10% of total people living with HIV and while in Bangkok, they have a one in three chance of infection. 

This information comes on the eve of Worlds AIDS Day, December 1. Despite the decrease in the disease in Africa over the past 15 years, this information is a stark reminder of a large possibility that this kind of epidemic can happen elsewhere.