February is Black History Month, a time to celebrate African Americans who have fought hard for freedom and equality.  It is a time to remember their successes and their struggles.  While much progress has been made, there are still important hurdles to be overcome.

One such area is in health disparities.  According to the Center for Disease Control

Among all racial/ethnic groups, African Americans bear the greatest burden of HIV in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1 in 16 black men and 1 in 32 black women will be diagnosed with HIV infection during their lifetimes. In 2009, blacks made up 14% of the US population but accounted for nearly half (44%) of all new HIV infections.

To address this, today is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.  It is a day to remind everyone, especially African Americans, about the importance of getting tested and spreading the word about HIV.  This is especially important to us and CHC, where 43% of the patients in our HIV program are African American.

We work closely with others to help stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and Kasey Harding, our Director of HIV Services has pointed out a particularly good website, WE>AIDS.

Please, get informed, get yourself tested, and work with us and others to stop the spread of HIV