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Atlanta: Free HIV tests to target African-Americans
- By News Hound
- Published 06/28/2007
- HIV & AIDS News
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View all articles by News HoundFree HIV tests to target African-Americans
By KAVITA PILLAI
A health fair Wednesday for National HIV Testing Day will target black Atlanta residents because their rate of infection is high and on the rise, organizers say.
The annual AIDS case rate for black Georgians is 81.7 per 100,000 residents, compared with 10.9 cases per 100,000 for whites, according to data compiled by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
AIDS activists in Atlanta will offer free HIV testing for the first 1,000 individuals who attend the event at the Morehouse School of Medicine.
"Of course, us being [a historically black college and university], our focus is to make sure that everyone knows their status, particularly in areas that have high prevalence of disease, which would be the African-American population," said Dr. Yolanda Wimberly, director of the sexual health program at the Morehouse School of Medicine.
According to the state's HIV/AIDS surveillance program, non-Hispanic blacks accounted for 78 percent of new AIDS diagnoses in 2005, up 2 percent from the year before.
African-Americans are about 30 percent of Georgia's population.
"We definitely want to address the increasing rates of African-Americans becoming infected with HIV, especially with women and black gay men," said Raphael Holloway, prevention programs manager for AID Atlanta.
Holloway said there are many reasons for the higher AIDS rates among black people in Georgia and nationwide, including lack of education about the disease and the stigma associated with it.
"We have to reduce the shame and guilt associated with sex and sexuality in the African-American community," he said.
"You'll hear that 'It doesn't impact me if I'm not a black gay male,' " he said. "Once they realize it's a black community issue and not a specific group, then we can really see some changes to reduce the transmission of HIV."
Wednesday's event, hosted by a coalition of AIDS organizations, also aims to ease some of the fear of testing by offering a noninvasive procedure — using an oral swab instead of drawing blood.
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/atlanta/stories/2007/06/25/MESHAIDS0626a.html
A health fair Wednesday for National HIV Testing Day will target black Atlanta residents because their rate of infection is high and on the rise, organizers say.
The annual AIDS case rate for black Georgians is 81.7 per 100,000 residents, compared with 10.9 cases per 100,000 for whites, according to data compiled by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
AIDS activists in Atlanta will offer free HIV testing for the first 1,000 individuals who attend the event at the Morehouse School of Medicine.
"Of course, us being [a historically black college and university], our focus is to make sure that everyone knows their status, particularly in areas that have high prevalence of disease, which would be the African-American population," said Dr. Yolanda Wimberly, director of the sexual health program at the Morehouse School of Medicine.
According to the state's HIV/AIDS surveillance program, non-Hispanic blacks accounted for 78 percent of new AIDS diagnoses in 2005, up 2 percent from the year before.
African-Americans are about 30 percent of Georgia's population.
"We definitely want to address the increasing rates of African-Americans becoming infected with HIV, especially with women and black gay men," said Raphael Holloway, prevention programs manager for AID Atlanta.
Holloway said there are many reasons for the higher AIDS rates among black people in Georgia and nationwide, including lack of education about the disease and the stigma associated with it.
"We have to reduce the shame and guilt associated with sex and sexuality in the African-American community," he said.
"You'll hear that 'It doesn't impact me if I'm not a black gay male,' " he said. "Once they realize it's a black community issue and not a specific group, then we can really see some changes to reduce the transmission of HIV."
Wednesday's event, hosted by a coalition of AIDS organizations, also aims to ease some of the fear of testing by offering a noninvasive procedure — using an oral swab instead of drawing blood.
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/atlanta/stories/2007/06/25/MESHAIDS0626a.html
