Feb 7, 2013: 13th annual National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
Today marks the 13th annual National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD) in the US. The first NBHAAD was organized by Concerned Black Men, Inc. of Philadelphia; Health Watch Information and Promotion Services, Inc.; Jackson State University- Mississippi Urban Research Center, National Black Alcoholism and Addictions Council; and the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS. There are 4 main objectives for NBHAAD:
- Education
- Testing
- Involvement
- Treatment
Since 2006, Healthy Black Communities has been designated as the lead organization for annual NBHAAD, but there are a multitude of organizations that also take part in this day including government agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and AIDS.gov.
This year’s theme is I Am My Brother’s/Sister’s Keeper: Fight HIV/AIDS, and it “emphasizes that all African Americans, regardless of sexual orientation, economic class, or educational level, can be an important part of the solution to the HIV epidemic in African American communities.” (source: CDC)
While strides are being made across the country on a daily basis to bring awareness about and treat those with HIV and AIDS, there is still a lot more work to do.
Here are a few highlights from a report released by the CDC:
- African-Americans are 14% of the US population but comprise 44% of all HIV/AIDS cases
- An estimated 1 in 16 African-American men will be diagnosed with HIV and an estimated 1 in 32 African-American women
- African-American men represent 31% of all new HIV infections in the US
The report also highlights a decline in new HIV infections between 2008 and 2010 among African-American women. At the same time, the incidence rate of new HIV cases among African-American women is 20 times higher than white women and 5 times higher than Latino women.
For the full report, click here.
For a list of NBHAAD events going on around the country today, click here.
Know your status. AIDS.gov allows you to look up testing facilities in your area and explains more about the types of tests offered. There are also at-home HIV tests that you can order online.
Wear a condom. Besides being passed from mother to child, HIV is a sexually transmitted disease. Nowadays, there are condom options for both men and women available.
Here’s a few videos that advise you how to talk to your partner about taking an HIV/AIDS test.
