The film “Pedro” will air tonight, April 1 at 8pm ET/PT on MTV. The biopic is the story of Pedro Zamora who in 1994 captured the hearts of millions as the first-ever openly gay, HIV-positive main character on TV – on MTV’s The Real World: San Francisco. Zamora’s time in the house on Lombard Street brought a face to the AIDS crisis.

Told through the eyes of his friends and family, the film Pedro celebrates the extraordinary life of a young man who found out he was HIV positive at 17, then made the courageous decision to dedicate his life to speaking out about the disease. Zamora testified before the United States Congress to argue for more explicit HIV/AIDS educational programs aimed at youth of color before auditioning for The Real World in 1993.

Zamora’s appearance on The Real World brought his story and message to a national audience; and when his health began to deteriorate in late 1994 (after he left the show), his condition quickly became front page news nationwide. His death at age 22, following the final episode of The Real World, provoked a worldwide outpouring of grief.

Nearly 15 years since Pedro heightened national awareness of HIV/AIDS, the epidemic in the U.S. remains a serious concern, especially among younger Americans (under 30) who account for a larger share of new infections than any other age group. Other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) – such as Chlamydia and gonorrhea – are even more common, with one in two sexually active Americans being infected by age 25 – and most not knowing it.

Want to do something about HIV/AIDS?

• Endorse charities like Keep a Child Alive to support HIV/AIDS education for teens.
• Discuss with your friends all ways you can get an STD.
• Create a statistics chart of how many young people are infected with HIV/AIDS everyday in the U.S.