February 13, 2017 BY imani leave a comment
February 7th marks National Black HIV & AIDS Awareness Day, an opportunity to focus the nation’s attention on the impact of HIV and AIDS on Black Americans. The theme for this year’s Awareness Day was “I Am My Brother’s and Sister’s Keeper. Fight HIV/AIDS!” The day was originally established in 1999 to call attention to the impact of HIV and AIDS in the black/African-American community, and 18 years later, it is a vital reminder that the impact of HIV continues to be devastating. Even PrEP, the daily use of a pill that prevents HIV, is not yet making major inroads in communities of color, due to lack of awareness, problems with access, and concerns about its cost as well as distrust of the medical establishment.
Fast Facts from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention:
- Of all racial and ethnic groups, Black/African Americans bear the biggest brunt of the HIV and AIDS epidemic.
- If current trends continue uninterrupted, one in two Black gay and bisexual men will contract HIV in their lifetimes.
- Black transgender women have the highest percentage of new HIV-positive test results when compared to other transgender women.
The CDC also released a further statement in observance of the day:
This year’s National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (February 7) offers us a moment to reflect on the tremendous toll HIV has taken on a generation of African-Americans in this country. It is also an opportunity to recognize the collective progress we’ve achieved in the African-American community: new diagnoses among African-Americans dropped by 14 percent from 2010 to 2014.
We must continue to build upon these successes to further reduce the impact of HIV on African-American communities.
For people living with HIV, getting diagnosed and starting treatment early is an essential first step toward long-term health. Newly released CDC data show that in 2014, one in five African Americans had progressed to AIDS by the time their infection was diagnosed. The same analysis also shows that once diagnosed, less than half of African Americans with HIV have achieved viral suppression through care and treatment — that is, the virus is under control and at a level that dramatically reduces the risk of transmission.
While it is clear improvements are needed, evidence suggests that efforts are paying off in many ways. A second CDC analysis shows that the large disparity in HIV diagnoses between African American women and women of other race/ethnicities is shrinking. The findings show that the difference in HIV diagnosis rates between African American women and white women (the group with the lowest rates) decreased by almost 25 percent from 2010 to 2014. There have also been substantial declines in recent years in diagnoses among African-Americans overall. And after years of increases, we are now seeing diagnoses among African-American gay and bisexual men level off.
We have more tools today to build on this momentum and to continue advancing in the fight against HIV. For those living with HIV, an HIV test is the gateway to effective treatment that improves health and reduces the risk of transmission. Advances in HIV testing and treatment offer greater opportunities to identify people living with HIV sooner and to link them to care earlier. Increases in HIV testing in both health care and non-health care settings can improve the proportion of African Americans with HIV who know their status and who are receiving care. And new biomedical interventions, like PrEP, are also playing a key role in HIV prevention when combined with other proven strategies.
CDC will continue working with the African American community, prevention partners, and providers to find solutions to close the gaps in HIV prevention and care.
On National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, join me as we forge a path to a future free of HIV — know your status, your risk, and how you can prevent HIV.
If you’re sexually active, get tested for HIV and STIs every three to six months. It’s easy to do, free even if you don’t have insurance, and confidential. Encourage your friends and partners to get tested and share their results too. In addition to MASS, there are many other wonderful HIV and health care organizations in our community that are committed to ending the epidemic. We need your support, whether through volunteering or financially. Reach out to see how you can help. In addition, lend your voice to the fight to keep Obamacare accessible for everyone. Access is a crucial component to fighting HIV and getting people in care.
If you are HIV-positive and not getting medical care, find out where you can get it. If you are in care, take your medication as prescribed. We know that when HIV-positive individuals are virally suppressed the likelihood of them transmitting HIV is almost zero. MASS has resources available if you are in need of assistance with medical case management.