Endangered Species...

Being black in America has never been an easygoing life—there has always been some form of an epidemic killing the population by the masses. In the 1930’s and 1980's it was syphilis; in the new millennium it’s the HIV/AIDS virus. Black Americans are often portrayed as over sexualized beings and the transmission of sexually transmitted infections seems to support this negative portrayal.

According to the New York Times, approximately 600,000 African-Americans are living with HIV and up to 30,000 are being infected each year. “If black America were a country, it would rank 16th in the world in the number of people living with the AIDS virus, the Black Institute says,” (New York Times, 7/30/08). Why are African-Americans being more affected by the virus than the general population? Are sexual habits really that different than those of European, Asian, Hispanic, or Indian decent? Is drug use/needle-sharing really a large contributor to the transmission of the virus within the black community? The numbers are staggering and ever-climbing.

Did you know that the U.S. government donates funds to fifteen countries around the world, including Ethiopia, Rwanda, Vietnam, and Haiti through an anti-AIDS program? Meanwhile, more blacks are living with AIDS than seven of the fifteen countries receiving aid from the U.S. government. There is something totally wrong with this picture. Kanye West said, “Bush hates black people,” but do we love ourselves? If we did, we would be fighting for our politicians to put this community epidemic on the agenda for change and funding. How can we help ourselves?

1. (Actively) Practice SAFE sex.
2. Call your girlfriends or your crew out on their failure to practice safe sex.
3. Educate yourself and your friends: search the Internet for information, see how other countries are tackling the AIDS epidemic and adopt some of their practices or demand that our government do so.
4. Most importantly, KNOW YOUR STATUS! Get tested every six months (that’s twice a year) even if your not sexually active all year round. There are plenty of places that offer FREE and quick testing.