“Ignorance is bliss,” says Charles Bustamante, a 20-year-old North Park resident. “I knew I had been reckless, but I also feared the reality of getting the diagnosis and living with the consequences of my actions.” Bustamante, who tested HIV positive in July 2005, says growing up a gay man, he was always aware of HIV. “The virus has been around longer than I have been alive. I knew the consequences, but, to an extent, it seemed like a right of passage into manhood as a gay man.”

Bustamante’s story is similar to that of many youth in the GLBT community who have knowledge about the risks of HIV infection, but forgo testing.

Local data from the 2006 HIV Counseling and Testing Report shows, of the 10,000 anonymous and 16,000 confidential HIV tests the county has provided in the last five years, fewer youth are being tested. The same report shows that since 2000, more tests are showing positive results amongst all age brackets, including youth.

Hoping to change that, the San Diego Youth Council (SDYC) has developed a series of audio public service announcements (PSA) to encourage local youth to get an HIV test. The PSAs launched during prom season in May and, once again, last week during National HIV Testing Day, which occurs every year on June 27.

“We worked for almost a year developing messages that youth can relate to,” said Brian Hayes, a SDYC member and HIV program coordinator for youth. “Through several meetings and brainstorming sessions, we were able to come up with some great ideas and have a final product that we are proud of.”

The SDYC meets monthly to discuss health and social problems that concern today’s youth, specifically HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections.

The SDYC distributed its first PSA to schools and youth organizations when many youth were preparing for prom, a time when there is a rise of sexual intercourse among youth, Hayes said. It was a prom-themed parody of MasterCard’s “Priceless” commercials, saying: “Prom night should be remembered for a lot of things. HIV shouldn’t be one of them.”

In 2004, the CDC estimated that more than 18,000 young people, ages 13 to 24, were living with HIV/AIDS, representing 13 percent of all people diagnosed that year. Only 19 percent of teens ages 15 to 19 report that they have been tested for HIV, compared to 44 percent of young adults, ages 20 to 24.

“By utilizing a prom theme and having it broadcast in hallways and during morning announcements at schools, we hope it will make youth aware they are not immune and that anybody can contract HIV,” Hayes said, noting a person is never too young to get tested if they are having sex.

The age of consent for HIV testing, as defined in the California Code of Regulations, is limited to those 12 years and older for a serum test, and 13 years and older for the rapid test.

The SDYC’s second PSA plays on the Verizon Wireless advertisement, “Can you hear me now?” message. “It is directed at people in relationships and sends the message that simply being in a committed relationship doesn’t mean a person is not at risk for HIV infection,” Hayes said.

The SDYC developed the PSAs with the help of Heads on Fire, a San Diego-based media relations organization. They were written and produced by San Diego youth.

“We were very focused on making sure the youth were included in every aspect of the development,” said Jonathan Rios, a service provider and SDYC member. “We even feature local youth in the PSA, so there is more buy-in from the community.”

According to the 2005 UNAIDS Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic, people 15 to 24 years old account for half of all new HIV infections worldwide. An estimated 10 million young people are living with HIV/AIDS in the world today.

Bustamante says he wishes he had listened more closely.

“I believed that it would never happen to me and thought I was immune,” he said. “I regret falling into that trap and not always protecting myself like I knew to do. I also regret not getting tested sooner. I could have not only started treatment sooner, but also protected others.”