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Nine years ago, five organizations collaborated with the Center for Disease Control to make February 7th of every year National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is a day that exists to raise awareness about the impact of the disease in the Black Community. The day aims to mobilize African Americans to get educated, get involved and tested, and if applicable, get treatment for HIV/AIDS.
African Americans are only 12 percent of the United States population, but account for almost half of all new HIV/AIDS infections. This statistic speaks volumes as to the state of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Prevention of the disease is priority, and efforts are affected by many factors:
- Poverty - A quarter of African Americans live at or below the poverty level. This causes a lack of access to good healthcare, which then puts people’s well-being at risk.
- Stigma - The stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS in the Black community prevents openness and drives people to keep their statuses under wraps. For others, stigma and fear keeps them from even getting tested.
- Sexually transmitted diseases – Already having certain STDs increases one’s susceptibility to contracting HIV. African Americans are 18 times more likely than whites to have gonorrhea.
- Drug use – The injection of drugs is the second leading cause of HIV infection in Black Americans. Also, being under the influence of drugs make people more likely to engage in risky behavior like unprotected sex.
Chicago’s HIV/AIDS epidemic mirrors the numbers on the national level (these numbers are from 2006. Last time they were collected).
- Of the 316 women diagnosed with HIV in 2006, 80% of them were Black.
- Black people represent 55% of HIV diagnoses in 2006.
- Two-thirds of the Black men diagnosed were MSM (men who have sex with other men)
The fight against HIV/AIDS in the Black community must continue. Not just on February 7th, but every day.
Get educated. Get tested. Get Involved. Get treated.
Comments
Thanks for bringing this out.
Great article and very informative. I am wondering, do you have any states on how many Americans total are believe to be living with HIV? Thanks
There are currently 1.1 million people living with HIV in the United States. Almost 50% of them are Black
You may not agree with this form of logic. But I tell people that since less then 1% of the American public has the disease, you should not fear getting tested. In other words chances are you do not have it, so go ahead and found out. It is a way of encouraging people in a positive way to get tested rather then a negative way that scares them from doing it.
If I was in PR I would campaign hard to bring a message of hope with getting tested, not a death sentence. I am actually going to get my annual one this week!
Yeah Jason, that's an interesting angle. However, people know when they've been engaging in risky behavior. Thereby, they are afraid to get tested. But in this case, what you don't know CAN kill you.
But you ARE right. It's important for people to know that an HIV diagnosis is not a death sentence. People like Rae Lewis-Thornton, who's lived with it for 20 years are proof of this. In the same token, people should know that HIV isn't a cold or flu. It will change certain things you have to do to live a good life.
Either way, I wish for those who don't have it to not get it. And for those who do have it to live well with it.
Yes the key is helping people know what is risky. You know it is so hard to control that, especially the physical thing, cause our drive for that is so strong and powerful. I still do not know the best way to drive save sex in the mind of the masses.
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