Glee’s Alex Newell Hosts Live Webcast with Youth in NYC for World AIDS Day
For Immediate Release: Jan. 30, 2014
“Fighting for the Healthiest Generation” Event Links Youth in New York and South Africa
Source
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Contact
New York, NY — Marking World AIDS Day 2012, Planned Parenthood Global and the Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS hosted a live webcast from Johannesburg, South Africa, that featured Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) President Cecile Richards and South African youth leaders engaged in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The webcast called attention to the critical role youth play in ending the HIV pandemic.
Alex Newell, well known for his appearances on The Glee Project and his role as Wade "Unique" Adams on Fox’s Glee, launched Planned Parenthood’s “Fighting for the Healthiest Generation” campaign with a breakfast and webcast viewing party in New York City for Planned Parenthood youth advocates from the New York metro area. Young people at the event were able to text questions to the roundtable of South African youth, who took questions about their work fighting HIV/AIDS, which were submitted from around the world. Following the webcast, Newell and the New York youth advocates engaged in a lively discussion, touching on a wide range of topics including bullying, self-acceptance and empowering one another to ask adults and each other for the support they need to make healthy, informed decisions.
“Worldwide, young people make up about 40 percent of all new HIV infections, so we’re most vulnerable,” said Newell. “It’s an amazing opportunity to be with Planned Parenthood and youth around the world on this World AIDS Day to raise awareness about the global pandemic and unite in the fight against HIV. This is how we’re going to create the healthiest generation — by engaging and empowering young people to help themselves and their peers stay HIV negative.”
“I am proud to be in South Africa on World AIDS Day with young leaders engaged in the fight against AIDS in one of the world’s most affected countries,” said PPFA President Cecile Richards. “Politicians, advocates, and medical professionals around the world agree that young people are key to prevention and putting an end to this epidemic once and for all. Planned Parenthood believes in engaging young people directly in developing solutions.”
The “Fighting for the Healthiest Generation” event echoes both Planned Parenthood's strategic goal of helping create the healthiest generation ever and the call for an AIDS-free generation from the U.S government and global health community.
Planned Parenthood is the leading provider of sex education in the U.S. and among the nation’s leading providers of HIV screening. In 2011, Planned Parenthood health centers conducted 680,000 HIV tests, a 16 percent increase from 2010. For this World AIDS Day, Planned Parenthood college advocates and high school peer educators have organized nearly 200 events across the country to raise awareness among young people and inform them about resources for HIV testing, counseling and services.
Through Planned Parenthood Global, the organization’s international arm, the organization supports young leaders and HIV advocacy, prevention and services in 10 countries in Africa and Latin America.
Published
December 01, 2012
Source
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Contact
Planned Parenthood Federation of America media office: 212-261-4433
Published
December 01, 2012