MTV special profiles young people with HIV

The Associated Press, Monday, November 19, 2012, 10:17am (PST)

NEW YORK (AP) — MTV is airing a special that profiles three young people who have HIV amid worries that some people are taking the condition too casually.

The special, "I'm Positive," is scheduled to air Dec. 1. Drew Pinsky, who is one of the show's producers, said he hopes it can become a regular series if it attracts an audience.

With detection and a drug regimen, people infected with the virus that causes AIDS can live with it as a chronic condition. But Pinsky said that this knowledge can cause people to become too casual about the condition. He said he hopes the special encourages viewers to be more diligent about preventing transmission and to get tested if they are at risk.