'Positive Youth': Documentary Explores the Lives of HIV+ Youth

HIV affects many aspects of life including dating, sleeping, eating and loving. A new film explores how age factors into the disease. LOGO TV's new documentary Positive Youth attempts to take a look at the world of young people with HIV/AIDS, defining "young" as late teens to age 27. The film follows four people in four U.S. cities, capturing both direct interviews and candid moments. From their goals and ambitions to their family and friends, the story shows how they each specifically chose to deal with their affliction, and what ultimately came of their efforts. It'll premiere on May 19.

The film comes from Charles David, a TV personality known for work with E! and the Travel Channel. He made the movie in hopes of reconfiguring the popular notion of AIDS - the one born out of the 1980s - and replacing it with a more modern, young perspective.

"I felt there was a huge disconnect in public awareness about the advancements in HIV medication and research," David said. "We made this documentary to educate those who know little of HIV, shed light on the rise of HIV infection among today's youth, give hope to people living with HIV and let them know that they are not alone."

The four people in the documentary are supposed to represent four different situations of people living with HIV. There's an 18-year-old woman from a poor town, a 25-year-old man living in a major city, a 23-year-old African American and a 27-year-old performer.

"We now have the tools to turn things around. Medication plays a key role in
prevention and living a long life," said Austin Head, one of the four youths in the film.

"Medicine is the reason the virus in my system is at undetectable levels. This eliminates nearly all possibility of transmission to a loved one. There are still a lot of people who don't know they have options and I wanted to be a part of this film to help share that story."

The film will air in the U.S. on Saturday, May 19 at 8 p.m. on LOGO TV.

Locally, the film will be showcased during the Wolfsonian Museum's new exhibition Graphic Intervention: 25 Years of International AIDS Awareness Posters 1985-2010. The exhibition, running from May 11 to Sept. 9, is composed of 153 posters from different communities to show how various societies represent HIV visually.

For more information, go to www.positiveyouthfilm.com.