( CNN ) -- Masonia Traylor does n't look sick . The 25-year-old mother of two is poised . Sitting in a boardroom at AID Atlanta , an HIV outreach facility in Atlanta where she volunteers , she exudes confidence . But Traylor is HIV positive . According to the CDC , 50,000 Americans are infected with HIV each year , and 25 % of those are between the ages of 13 and 24 . Sixty percent of youth with HIV do n't know they have it , despite recommendations from the CDC , the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force . A faceless disease . Traylor got her first HIV test as a teenager when someone living with the disease gave a presentation at her high school . She was about 16 and already a teen mother at the time . She knew she had been having unprotected sex and wanted to stay healthy for her young son . At the time , Traylor was in what she believed was a monogamous relationship . During her annual doctor 's visit , she was disturbed to realize she had to ask specifically for an HIV test on top of a standard STD panel . She insisted on taking the test even though her doctor told her -- as a heterosexual woman involved in a monogamous relationship -- that she was low risk . Later Traylor broke up with her boyfriend and began a new committed relationship . That was the year her life changed . Despite vigilance in testing , Traylor was n't prepared for what she found out at her doctor 's visit that year : She was HIV positive . Two weeks later she learned she was pregnant with her second child . `` It was very difficult -- a lot of screaming in my head , a lot of tears -- as if I was going to a funeral every day , '' she said . The father of Traylor 's baby tested negative for HIV and she was able to give birth to a healthy daughter . Traylor believes she contracted the disease from an ex-boyfriend who has not been tested . Over the past two years , Traylor has come to a place of acceptance , and she takes personal responsibility for taking a chance with her health by having unprotected sex . But in hindsight , she realizes that even though she knew about HIV , she did n't fully understand her risk of contracting it . `` At home we did n't talk about HIV because it just did n't exist in my world , '' she said . `` I was aware it was out there , but I did n't know what it looked like . '' HIV does n't have a face , and someone who is infected does n't necessarily exhibit any physical signs . `` You think that you would see signs that a person is sick , '' she said , but since that is n't always the case , teens and young adults can feel a false sense of security . They may think , regarding their partner , `` we talk all the time , I trust them , so I do n't need to go get tested , '' she said . Traylor was n't always open with her status , but now she dedicates much of her time and energy to raising HIV awareness because she considers the often imperceptible nature of the disease a factor in its continued transmission . Love , sex and stigma . Jon Diggs , a prevention specialist and counselor for The Evolution Project , an Atlanta-based center that offers HIV and STD prevention , treatment , and counseling , calls teens ' underestimation of risk part of the `` invisible syndrome . '' Diggs works primarily with black gay , bisexual and transgendered men , a community that is disproportionately affected by HIV and AIDS . In 2010 , the CDC estimated that 72 % of new HIV infections in young people were transmitted through same-sex , male sexual activity . Fifty-seven percent of estimated new infections in this age group were in African-Americans . Michael Kaplan , president and CEO of AIDS United , which supports more than 400 grassroots organizations annually , said that as a young gay man he found it difficult to talk to his doctor about HIV testing . Despite seeing a doctor regularly for diabetes , Kaplan , now 44 , said his doctor never offered him an HIV test and made assumptions about his sexual orientation . `` I would say , ' I do n't date girls , ' and hoped he might simply have a clue , but ( he ) never seemed to allow for the fact I could be gay , '' Kaplan said . He said doctors need to create `` an open and accepting environment that talks about sexuality as human nature . '' `` The reality is , today , the majority of HIV infections are among men who have sex with men , '' Kaplan said . `` Without a doubt , we need broader screening efforts , but I think overall we need broader talk about sexuality in the United States . '' If doctors are n't asking about sexuality and sexual activity , he said , then they miss the opportunity to recommend routine testing to young gay men . The reasons that members of this community do n't get tested vary , but there are common threads that touch youth across all demographics , especially questions about what love and sex means after a positive HIV diagnosis . `` What is sex going to look like ? ... What is life going to look like ? Am I going to die ? '' These are some of the questions Diggs hears often from those he counsels . The fear of stigma and isolation is great enough that it `` will stop people from wanting to know their status , '' he said , `` but it wo n't stop the sexual behavior that 's happening . '' For gay , bisexual and transgendered youth , he said , the fear of isolation can be intensified for those with strong religious backgrounds . They may feel their faith or community will abandon them because of their sexual identity . Diggs said he has seen this lead to risky behavior , and he urges parents to be involved early in an open dialogue about safe sex . This includes recognizing that a message of abstinence does n't always work with teens and young adults , he said , and recognizing that the conversation should be focused on sexual health , not just avoiding pregnancy . For a gay teen , he said , preventing pregnancy does n't translate to safer sex . Diggs suggests moving sex and sexual health out of the shadows by making testing a regular family event and using that time as an opportunity to talk about the family 's belief system around partnering , sex and marriage . But being open about one 's sexual health is n't always an easy thing -- a lesson Traylor has learned when she broaches the topic of dating . `` When I get to the point and I ask someone , 'Would you date someone that 's HIV positive ? ' A lot of people ca n't answer that question . '' Learning when to disclose her status has become part of the learning curve for Traylor . She said being upfront earlier about her status has made things better . People respect her honesty and it makes the conversation easier to have . Other obstacles . For a teen , finding and getting to a testing facility can be a challenge all its own . Ainka Gonzalez , prevention programs manager at AID Atlanta , said she has seen teens struggle to get tested simply because they ca n't get transportation to a testing facility . For a high school student , teens must find a location that operates outside of school hours if they do n't want to involve their parents . And , if a teen tests positive for HIV , their parents may need to get involved anyway . `` Laws differ around the country , but usually if you do test positive for HIV and you 're underaged , a parent would have to consent for treatment , '' Gonzalez said . `` If a young person may be having other challenges at home , this of course will amplify it . '' Kaplan thinks easier access to testing is crucial . `` If kids got to a place where they were routinely offered screening ... they would n't struggle with 'Where can I get tested ? Who do I talk to about it ? ' And a lot of the stigma would be eradicated , '' he said . The next hurdle is paying for treatment . Teens who are too young to have their own health insurance and young adults up to age 25 who are on a parent 's health insurance plan will likely need family support to pay for medication . Without insurance , they often need to contact the department of health -- an option Traylor , whose medication runs $ 3,000 a month , finds `` terrifying . '' `` At one point , I was so afraid that I was n't going to get health insurance anymore that I stopped taking my medicine , '' she said , and hoarded medication because she expected a month-long wait for a doctor 's appointment through the department of health . To find HIV testing facilities in your area , go to HIVtest.cdc.gov . The next generation . Traylor feels her HIV education in high school did n't offer crucial information about testing facilities and local rates of infection -- information you can find on CDC.gov . `` In school we learn ( ed ) that HIV can lead to AIDS and AIDS can lead to death . ... It 's a fear and that 's it . '' Today , Traylor is raising two healthy children with the help of her mother , and is educating them early about HIV . The education starts at home , but it is n't always easy . Traylor helped her 9-year-old son with a project on the stigma of HIV , but admitted she was nervous to talk to him about sex . `` I said , 'If mommy had HIV , what would you do ? ' He said he would n't touch me , he would n't kiss me , ( or ) hug me anymore . '' It opened the door for Traylor to talk to her son about how HIV is transmitted . Though she did n't tell him her status , she explained to him that HIV and AIDS ca n't be spread though common contact , like hugs and kisses . `` Then ( he ) said , `` OK , Mom , I 'll hug you . And I 'll kiss you . I 'll still love you the same . ''
A quarter of those infected with HIV are between the ages of 15 and 24 . More than half of people with HIV do n't know they have it . Why they do n't get tested can vary widely . A lifestyle of abstinence does not work for all teens and young adults .