National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness

Slideshow

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  Living With HIV

  African Americans represent more than one-third of all people living with HIV in our nation.

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  Health Care Providers' Role

  The National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day challenges health care providers to work to eliminate these unacceptable health disparities by ramping up HIV prevention efforts.

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  Testing Rates

  African Americans represent only 14% of the US population but account for almost half of all new HIV infections in the United States per year.

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  Stepped Up Testing

  Lack of awareness of HIV status can affect HIV rates. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, almost 73,600 HIV-infected people in the African American community in 2011 were unaware of their HIV status.

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  Improving Access to Treatment

  African Americans living with HIV are less likely than white or Latino Americans to receive consistent, ongoing HIV care. Only about 38% of African Americans got consistent care from 2011 – 2013.

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  A Focus on Prevention

  Education and understanding prevention and treatment of HIV is important, including education on preventing transmission.

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  Speak Out

  According to Ms. Burwell's statement: "One thing we can all do is speak out - speak out against HIV stigma whenever and wherever you encounter it. Stigma and shame continue to prevent too many people from seeking testing and getting the health care they need to live healthy, active lives."

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  National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

  The Strategic Leadership Council, in coordination with the Centers Disease for Control and Prevention, and a number of other organizations mark National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.

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  Socioeconomic Issues

  According Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data, "The socioeconomic issues associated with poverty — including limited access to high-quality health care, housing, and HIV prevention education — directly and indirectly increase the risk for HIV infection, and affect the health of people living with and at risk for HIV."

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  More Research

  CDC officials and partner organizations are researching High-Impact Prevention approaches to reduce new HIV infections, including researching "scientifically proven, cost-effective, and scalable interventions targeted to the right populations in the right geographic areas."