Monday, September 22, 2014
Friday, September 5, 2014
HIV/AIDS Still Relevant
HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, has disappeared from the headlines as a life-threatening disease but not among those fighting it on the front lines.
"HIV is still a concern and presence. People are still becoming infected every day," with African Americans leading in the number of new infections, according to Dwain Bridges of the Evolution Project, a division of Aid Atlanta that assists young black gay, and transgender males.
"We [African Americans] represent the largest number of people with HIV," he said. "If I had to rank them, African Americans would be number one."
Young black gay men between the ages of 14 and 24 appear to be the hardest hit among black Americans when it comes to contracting the HIV virus as they "...mostly sleep with other black gay men," Bridges stated, and because of the stigma associated with having the disease or people not disclosing their positive status.
Heterosexual blacks, on the other hand, usually become infected with the virus by sharing needles during intravenous drug use or failing to disclose a positive diagnosis with their partner for fear of rejection, according to Bridges and other experts in the field.
"We really need to focus on the stigma part....," Bridges pointed out, and be upfront about the illness.
Condoms remain the best way to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS along with community involvement, according to The Evolution Project of Aid Atlanta. "Condoms work best," barring abstinence, said Larry Walker, also with Aid Atlanta, in conjunction with Truvada, a drug used to lessen one's chances of becoming infected with HIV when taken before sex. He also urges African Americans to speak out more against child molestation since studies show that most young black gay men who test positive for the HIV virus were molested as boys.
"HIV is still a concern and presence. People are still becoming infected every day," with African Americans leading in the number of new infections, according to Dwain Bridges of the Evolution Project, a division of Aid Atlanta that assists young black gay, and transgender males.
"We [African Americans] represent the largest number of people with HIV," he said. "If I had to rank them, African Americans would be number one."
Young black gay men between the ages of 14 and 24 appear to be the hardest hit among black Americans when it comes to contracting the HIV virus as they "...mostly sleep with other black gay men," Bridges stated, and because of the stigma associated with having the disease or people not disclosing their positive status.
Heterosexual blacks, on the other hand, usually become infected with the virus by sharing needles during intravenous drug use or failing to disclose a positive diagnosis with their partner for fear of rejection, according to Bridges and other experts in the field.
"We really need to focus on the stigma part....," Bridges pointed out, and be upfront about the illness.
Condoms remain the best way to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS along with community involvement, according to The Evolution Project of Aid Atlanta. "Condoms work best," barring abstinence, said Larry Walker, also with Aid Atlanta, in conjunction with Truvada, a drug used to lessen one's chances of becoming infected with HIV when taken before sex. He also urges African Americans to speak out more against child molestation since studies show that most young black gay men who test positive for the HIV virus were molested as boys.
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