A sobering new report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) indicates that the numbers of adult and adolescent men who regularly have sex with other men are becoming infected with HIV at an alarming rate.

The report, entitled CDC HIV/AIDS Update: New Surveillance on Men Who Have Sex With Men, was released last week and revealed that the number of HIV/AIDS cases increased across the board among men who have had sex with men between 2001 through 2005. The study collected, examined and categorized data from 33 states over several years. The most significant proportional increase occurred among African-American men who have sex with men between ages of 13 and 24. The number of cases jumped from 928 cases to 1,618 cases in 2005.

“This dramatic increase in HIV rates is yet another in a series of calls to Congress and the Department of Health and Human Services that young people need culturally relevant sex education,” said Debra Hauser, an executive vice president with Advocates for Youth. The Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization creates programs and examines policies for young people.

The release of this most recent data by the CDC comes on the heels of yet another recently released study by the Atlanta-based research center. Last month, the CEC released information that noted a substantial increase in the number of teenage girls giving birth. It was the first time in more than a decade that the number has increased.

“We will never be able to adequately address the sexual health needs of young people when our government insists upon [only] funding abstinence-only until marriage programs,” Hauser said in a release addressing the CDC studies. “All young people have the right to honest sexual information.” To view both CDC studies in their entirety go to www.centersfordiseasecontrol.com of www.cdc.com.