February 7th marks National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day: A Day for the African American community to mobilize, talk, test, learn, and get involved as HIV/AIDS continues to be an epidemic in the African American community.
How do we end the HIV epidemic in Black America? Join the Twitter Town Hall Meeting on Tuesday, February 7, at 11 AM PST //// 2 PM EST by going to Twitter at the designated time and following the hashtag #BlackHIVChat. They will be discussing how you or your ministry can get involved and fight the epidemic locally.
Not convinced? According to the CDC, compared with other races and ethnicities, African Americans account for a higher proportion of new HIV diagnoses, those living with HIV, and those ever diagnosed with AIDS. At the end of 2012, only 37% of African Americans living with HIV were prescribed antiretroviral therapy (ART). In 2013, 3,742 African Americans died of HIV or AIDS, accounting for 54% of the total deaths attributed to the disease that year.
Also, join us at WORLD House in person on Tuesday, February 7 at 1 PM PST for a special activity to acknowledge well-known African Americans that have disclosed their status or who have advocated on behalf of PLWH/A. We will have food available for all attendees. See you tomorrow!
This post was written by Janice Anderson, WORLD Peer Advocate.