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World AIDS Day, A Reminder There's More Work To Be Done

nbjc.org

December 1st is World AIDS Day, an opportunity for people to unite in the fight against HIV. It’s also about putting an end to social stigma associated with talking about the disease.

“This has been highlighted in the #MeToo movement, as a culture we don’t equip people with the knowledge or suggest that is ok and necessary to talk about how one protects themselves,” said David Johns, executive director of National Black Justice Coalition, a civil rights organization and advocate for the LGBTQ community.

Social and economic factors along with fear of having an open conversation create a higher risk of infection.

“One of the reasons why black people are so disproportionately affected, stigma is the answer.  So few of us have the language within which we can use to have conversations about our sexual health, well-being and our practices,” Johns said.

2017 statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show African Americans are most likely to be diagnosed with HIV.  And even more so if their gay men.

“If trends continue, half of black gay men, or what the CDC terms as men who have sex with men, are projected to be diagnosed with HIV in our lifetime.”

Johns advocates for having that difficult talk about HIV. 

“It is important for us to do the tough work and have uncomfortable and life changing conversations. Particularly around HIV and AIDS. The National Black Justice Coalition developed a toolkit that literally acknowledges that sometimes people are paralyzed because they don’t know the words to use to have this type of conversation.”