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AIDS in Black America: 'Complacency Is Killing People' (109 hits)

This data was recently released in a report by the National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC), which exposes the urgent need to confront HIV and AIDS domestically.

"There is a danger that we view AIDS as a problem that only affects Africa, when it remains a real and growing danger in our own backyard," said Beny Primm, NMAC chair emeritus, in a statement. "That kind of complacency is killing people and it has to stop."

The following five-step plan of action is from the NMAC report:

1. Support the strengthening of stable black-American communities by addressing the need for more affordable housing.

2. Reduce the impact of incarceration as a driver of new HIV infections within the black-American community by providing voluntary, routine HIV testing to prisoners on entry and release; making HIV-prevention education and c*ndoms available in prison facilities; and expanding re-entry programs to help formerly incarcerated persons successfully transition back into society.

3. Eliminate the marginalization of, and reduce stigma and discrimination against, black gay men and other men who have s*x with men.

4. Expand HIV-prevention education programs, promote the early identification of HIV through voluntary, routine testing, and connect those in need to treatment and care as early as possible.

5. Reduce the number of HIV infections in the black-American community caused by injection-drug use through the expansion of substance-abuse-prevention programs, drug treatment and recovery services, and clean-needle-exchange programs. For active injection-drug users in particular, clean-needle-exchange programs are needed to minimize the risk of infection through needle sharing.

The NMAC recommendations are endorsed by an expert advisory panel of black-American leaders, including Julian Bond, NAACP chairman; Louis Sullivan, former U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services; David Satcher, former U.S. surgeon general; Marian Wright Edelman, Children's Defense Fund president; and Marc Morial, National Urban League president.
http://diversityinc.com/content/1757/artic...

Posted By: DAVID JOHNSON
Thursday, September 16th 2010 at 4:47PM
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This blog is so very needed, but I've noticed that when people have posted on HIV/AIDS, it almost get no hits at all. The problem of HIV/AIDS has and is still hitting our communities hard.

The initiatives set out in the blog are great and there has already been a lot of success by providing #1 and #5 to people. My husband used to work for a program that provided emergency housing for people with HIV/AIDS which helped to get them off the street in exchange for prostituting for shelter.

The program also provided education for prevention of disease transmission throught the sharing of needles and the re-use of dirty needles. It was an excellent program. It is my desire that we would do more to reduce the stigma and discrimination in our communities regarding #3. Due to the stigma and discrimination against Black Homos*xuals and Bis*xuals, they remain in the closet and continue to spread HIV/AIDS.
Thursday, September 16th 2010 at 4:59PM
Jen Fad