Rep. John Lewis on National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

These facts make it more critical than ever to utilize this day to mobilize around the mission to raise awareness around HIV and AIDS, for those unaware of their HIV status to get tested, and make sure those who test positive are able to receive care.

African American women infected with the virus had a higher rate of medical care. To keep driving down new diagnoses, we must ensure that everyone at risk for HIV infection is provided access to effective prevention tools and that people who are living with HIV have unfettered access to quality health care regardless of who they are or where they live.

The Centers for Disease Control reports that, in 2014, 44 percent of estimated new HIV diagnosis in the US were African Americans.

A total of 632 cases or 97.23 percent of the new cases were acquired through sexual transmission, mostly among homosexuals.

Stigma and Discrimination: Many Black and African Americans delay getting tested or treated for HIV out of fear of stigma and discrimination. The researchers wrote that while these increases are beneficial to black women with newly diagnosed HIV, more interventions within the group may be needed to reach the 85% linkage rate targeted by the National HIV/AIDS Strategy.

Dr. Jonathan Mermin is director of CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention. “And closing this gap in care will be essential if we are to see the narrowing racial divide in HIV diagnoses close completely”. During this period, however, about 50 percent of whites and Hispanics with the virus had continuous care, according to the CDC’s February 4 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. In 2012, HIV was the 5th leading cause of death for all Blacks and the 5th leading cause of death for both Black men and Black women ages 35-44.

The 12 regions accounted for 25% of all HIV diagnoses in 2010; the agency investigation tracked the 9,824 patients 13 or older who were diagnosed in 2010 and still alive in 2013. I firmly believe that if we all continue to push efforts in this direction, we can help end the HIV epidemic for everyone in the United States.

In recognition of that, free HIV testing is being offered for people living in Ingham County.