February 7th, is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day – Tallahassee Tech Time

About 1.2 million people in the United States are living with HIV, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Out of those, 41 percent are African-American, while they account for only 12 percent of the total population.
HIV Medical care than black women, 35 percent to 44 percent
Nationwide, 38 percent of blacks got consistent care for HIV from 2011 to 2013, compared with about half for whites and Hispanics, according to the new findings, which are based on National HIV Surveillance System records and were published Thursday in the CDC’s “Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.”
Just 38 percent of African Americans got consistent HIV care from 2011-13 compared with about half of whites and Latinos, according to the new research from the CDC. But even worse for gay black men with HIV: They were less likely to receive consistent medical care than black women, 35 percent to 44 percent, and receiving consistent HIV care was highest among African Americans whose HIV infections were attributable to heterosexual contact, according to the CDC.
“Consistent care matters. It enables people with HIV to live longer, healthier lives, and it prevents new infections,” Jonathan Mermin (photo), director of CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD & TB Prevention said in a prepared statement. “And closing this gap in care will be essential if we are to see the narrowing racial divide in HIV diagnoses close completely.”
And with blacks disproportionately impacted by HIV – African Americans represent 12 percent of the U.S. population but almost 50 percent of HIV diagnoses in 2014 – the CDC is concerned about the disparity in medical care.
“CDC has been working for many years to eliminate the HIV disparities that exist within the black community,” said Eugene McCray, director of CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention. “While we are seeing signs of success, we must continue our focus on prevention strategies that will have the greatest impact on African American communities and the nation overall. A key area of focus is ensuring that people living with HIV are diagnosed early, quickly linked to care and receive consistent care that improves their lives and protects the health of their partners.”
We Can Stop HIV One Conversation at a Time
HIV and AIDS affect all communities, including ours. As Hispanics/Latinos, we are the largest and fastest growing ethnic minority in the United States, and we are also one of the groups most heavily impacted by HIV/AIDS.
More than 1.2 million people are living with HIV in the United States and about 50,000 people become infected each year. As Hispanics/Latinos, we account for 23% of these new HIV infections and of those, 85% were in men and 15% were in women. Anyone can be affected by HIV regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, or marital status. Learn more about the impact of HIV among Hispanics/Latinos.
It may not always be easy to talk about HIV/AIDS, but we must talk openly about it to protect our community. By learning the facts about HIV and talking about ways to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our community, we can help increase HIV awareness, decrease stigma and shame that are too often associated with HIV, and play a part in stopping HIV in the Hispanic/Latino community.
We all have a role to play. We can stop HIV one conversation at a time. Together, all of our conversations can help protect the health of our community and reduce the spread of HIV.

Source :http://www.albanydailystar.com/

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