In response to the alarming rise in infection among those ages 13 to 19, a new book, titled Teenagers, HIV, and AIDS , promises to bridge the gap between teenagers living with HIV/AIDS and health experts, The Washington Post reports (washingtonpost.com, 1/8).

Through poetry and prose, the Post reports, physician Lawrence D’Angelo and psychologist Maureen Lyon assemble the young HIV patients of Children’s Hospital in Washington, DC—which has the highest HIV-infection rates in the country—to openly discuss their own experiences with the virus, including their fears, questions and hopes for the future.

“I believe that I am going to live a long life,” one teen writes. “I believe I have a purpose, and the purpose is to help youth do something.”

Teenagers, HIV, and AIDS is available both online and in bookstores.