The Young Men Who Have Sex With Men (YMSM) Project

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Reducing the Risk of HIV/STD Infection

Three interconnected circles defining YMSM: Identity, Attraction and Behavior

The goal of the YMSM Project is to reduce the risk of HIV and STD infection in YMSM students (ages 13–19) with a focus on black and Latino YMSM. To accomplish this goal, the project works to:

Increase the number of teen YMSM who are tested and treated for HIV and STD
Decrease sexual risk behaviors among teen YMSM
Reduce absenteeism and school drop-out among teen YMSM

For this project, “YMSM” includes young men who identify as gay or bisexual, are attracted to other males, and/or engage in sexual behavior with other males.

The YMSM Project’s innovative, school-centered approach is led by CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH). The project is funded jointly by the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention (DHAP) and DASH through the cooperative agreement RFA-1308: Promoting Adolescent Health Through School-Based HIV/STD Prevention and School-Based Surveillance Cdc-pdf[PDF – 771K] .

Four partners are funded to address the HIV/STD Prevention needs of black and Latino YMSM:

Advocates for Youth
Los Angeles Unified School District (California)
San Francisco Unified School District (California)
School Board of Broward County (Florida)

The project is guided by the National HIV/AIDS StrategyExternal. Funded partners implement multiple activities to meet the local HIV/STD prevention needs of black and Latino YMSM in priority schools:

Implement or expand HIV and STD testing and treatment in schools and school-based health centers
Increase collaboration between schools, school-based health centers, community-based organizations, and other health care providers for linkage and referral to HIV and STD testing and treatment, and evidence-based educational interventions
Develop a systematic process for school staff (e.g., nurses, counselors, and social workers) to refer students to HIV and STD testing and treatment
Assess and implement policies that impact HIV and STD-related testing, treatment, and prevention interventions for teen YMSM
Implement programs to promote healthy school and school-based health center environments for YMSM
Market HIV/STD prevention to teen YMSM
Implement evidence-based HIV prevention interventions tailored for teen YMSM

HIV Among YMSM: Facts at a Glance

In 2015, youth aged 13 to 24 accounted for 22% of all new HIV diagnoses in the United States. Most of those new diagnoses among youth (81%) occurred among gay and bisexual males.¹
Of newly diagnosed males in 2015, 55% (3,888) were black, 24% (1,672) were Hispanic/Latino, and 16% (1,159) were white. ¹
If current rates persist, projections suggest approximately 1 in 6 MSM are at risk of becoming infected with HIV in their lifetime, with even worse projections for Latino MSM (1 in 4) and black MSM (1 in 2).²
About 60% of all youth with HIV do not know they are infected, are not getting treated, and can unknowingly pass the virus on to others.³