AIDS. A four-letter word packed full of misconceptions and misunderstandings. Who is at risk for contracting AIDS? How does one prevent oneself from getting AIDS? How serious is AIDS in the black community? The black AIDS Institute, based in Los Angeles, is the only national HIV/AIDS public policy, training and research center in the U.S focused exclusively on HIV/AIDS among blacks. Backed by the slogan, “Our people, our problem, our solution,” the Black AIDS Institute is geared to stop the AIDS pandemic in black communities. By engaging and mobilizing black institutions and individual efforts to confront HIV, the Black AIDS Institute is gaining more momentum every day.
AIDS, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, affects 39.4 million people worldwide, and 850,000 to 950,000 in the U.S alone. Stunningly, blacks account for 49 percent of all new diagnoses in the U.S, compared to whites at 28% and Latinos at 29.6%. New AIDS cases among blacks in the state of Texas alone are 39.6% compared to whites at 31.6%.
When askedwhat young people can do to help fight the war on AIDS, editor-in-chief of Ledge magazine, a magazine a publication of the Black AIDS Institute, stated “Right here, right now we’re fighting HIV/AIDS. It’s all about raising the level of awareness about this epidemic in our peer group, talking about the issues. Have you seen the “Got AIDS?” t-shirts? LIFE AIDS launched the “Got AIDS?” campaign on Feb. 7 National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. The campaign was a huge success at Howard University and on many other campuses across the country. We distributed the “Got AIDS?” t-shirts, The Ledge, and fact sheets from the Kaiser Family Foundation on HIV/AIDS. ALL FREE. So now fighting HIV/AIDS is as easy as wearing a t-shirt.”
Black Americans need to wake up and speak out about this disease that is killing our communities daily. As a community, blacks are the least educated about the risks of HIV/AIDS.
Studies show that a leading cause of infections in black men was sexual contact with other men. In women the leading cause was heterosexual contact. The black community as a whole must come out of denial and face the facts, condom usage, talking with our loved ones, and just being informed is the only way we are going to be able to fight this battle.
Many people, of all ethnicities are ignorant to the facts of HIV/AIDS. Many are uninformed on how the disease is spread and how it is not spread.
HIV/AIDS spreads via blood (menstrual blood included), semen and other male fluids, vaginal fluids, and breast milk. Contrary to popular belief, one cannot contract HIV/AIDS from sweat, tears, or saliva.
Those diagnosed with HIV/AIDS can go on to live very productive lives, with the help of medicine and regular check-ups. Young people today need to realize that taking one precaution to prevent the disease is not enough.
Only talking with your partner and being completely honest can prevent one from getting HIV/AIDS through sex. Once an individual comes out of denial that they’re not invincible to AIDS, then they can really take care of themselves and not contract the virus.
It has been reported that every day 13 black women are infected, and 16 black men die from HIV daily. Numbers do not mean much when reading them on paper, but the truth is these numbers are destroying our communities.
Children are losing parents, parents are losing children, husbands their wives, and so forth. I urge all, especially those who engage in sexual activity, whether it is heterosexual or homosexual to get tested. Don’t wait till it’s too late, save your life, and help someone else save his or hers.