“color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;”> Sunday marked the 30th anniversary of the first public identification of AIDS. On June 5, 1981, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report disclosed that five previously healthy gay men in Los Angeles were diagnosed with an infectious disease normally associated with a deteriorated immune system. Actually, AIDS began prior to 1981 – we just didn’t know it.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”> Since 1981, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , 1.7 million people in the United States have been infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Among the 1.7 million, 600,000 died. More than 1.1 million are living with the disease today. Every 9 ½ minutes, someone is infected with HIV in the U.S.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”> AIDS, initially thought to be the exclusive purview of white gay men, has taken a large toll on African Americans. Although blacks represent only 12 percent of the U.S. population, African Americans account for 45 percent of all HIV infections and 46 percent of all people living with HIV in 2006, according to the CDC.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”> Over the course of the epidemic, African Americans have become a larger proportion of those diagnosed with AIDS, jumping from 25 percent in 1985 to almost double – 48 percent – in 2009.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”> Black women account for 61 percent of all new HIV infections among women, a rate nearly 15 times larger than that of white women. Most African-American women were infected through heterosexual activity.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”> Black teenagers represent only 17 percent of all U.S. teenagers, but 68 percent of all new AIDS diagnoses among teens.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”> According to one five-city sampling, 46 percent of black gay and bisexual men were infected with HIV, compared to 31 percent of whites and 17 percent of Latino males.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”> Citing a national study, an HIV/AIDS fact sheet published by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation observed: “Blacks with HIV/AIDS were more likely to be publicly insured or uninsured than their white counterparts, with over half (59 percent) relying on Medicaid compared to 32 percent of whites. One-fifth of blacks with HIV/AIDS (22 percent) were uninsured, compared to 17 percent of whites. Blacks were much less likely to be privately insured than whites (14 compared to 44 percent).”
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“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”> In addition to less access of health care, the death rate is higher among blacks, in part, because African Americans are often diagnosed long after they have been infected, reducing the likelihood of successful treatment.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”> Phill Wilson and his Black AIDS Institute have been particularly impressive mobilizing civil rights leaders, even getting them to undergo testing in public. Similarly, Pernessa C. Seele, of the Balm in Gilead, has mobilized the faith community, both here and in Africa, and C. Virginia Fields has placed a lot of focus on heterosexual women through her leadership of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”> Still, too many people are walking around unaware of their HIV status, posing a threat to themselves and others. That’s why testing needs to be expanded at all levels. In addition, the Blacks AIDS Institute’s 2011 State of AIDS in Black America report outlines a number of steps that need to be taken by health officials to more effectively address the problem:
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“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”> · Provide people with continuous and coordinated quality care once they learn they have been infected by HIV;
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“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”> · Increase the number and diversity of clinical care and related services to people living with HIV;
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“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”> · Support people living with HIV who have other needs, such as affordable housing;
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“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”> · Reduce the stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV; and
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“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”> · Adopt community-level approaches to reduce HIV infections in high-risk communities.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”> The 30th anniversary of the discovery of AIDS is no time for celebration. It is a time to expand our efforts to bring an end to this preventable disease.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”> George E. Curry, former editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine and the NNPA News Service, can be reached through “font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 125%; font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family:”>
“text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;”>www.georgecurry.com
