Down Low Myths Debunked on Black AIDS Awareness Day 2012
National Black AIDS Awareness Day is February 7, 2012. Out of the 1.1 million people living with HIV in the U.S., 500,000 are African Americans. It's estimated that at some point in our lifetime, 1 in 16 black men will be diagnosed as HIV positive and 1 in 32 women will contract HIV. More startling is that African Americans are more likely to die of HIV because we are not get tested and treated in time for the disease.
Phil Wilson, of the Black AIDS Institute, tells NoMoreDownLow.TV, "For the longest time, the AIDS word was mis-defined as a gay disease... as a white gay disease. And today, frankly, nothing could be further from the truth.
Part of the blame is misinformation. According to the CDC, the myth that the "down low" is to be blamed for rising HIV infection rates in men & women has to be debunked. There is no data that shows that bisexual men (or other men that have sex with men) are transmitting HIV to their female partners.
More info: http://pamshouseblend.firedoglake.com/2009/10/19/cdc-down-low-men-not-respons...
Carrie Broadus, from Women Alive, tells us, "The worst thing we can do is pin this on black men. That's the worst thing we can do."
The CDC reports it's intravenous drug use and unprotected sex with multiple heterosexual partners are more likely the cause of the increased HIV infection rates among black women.
Precious, who is living with HIV, told NoMoreDownLow.TV, "I was astonished, shocked because I didn't think an African American woman... a heterosexual woman at that... could acquire HIV."
NBA legend Magic Johnson shared with NoMoreDownLow.TV, "White gay men took care of their community and brought the numbers down. We need to somehow get that blueprint and say this is what we have to do in our community to bring the numbers down. And I think if we can do that, it's not just going to be better for the black community but for the Latino community as well."
Phil Wilson, of the Black AIDS Institute, tells NoMoreDownLow.TV, "For the longest time, the AIDS word was mis-defined as a gay disease... as a white gay disease. And today, frankly, nothing could be further from the truth.
Part of the blame is misinformation. According to the CDC, the myth that the "down low" is to be blamed for rising HIV infection rates in men & women has to be debunked. There is no data that shows that bisexual men (or other men that have sex with men) are transmitting HIV to their female partners.
More info: http://pamshouseblend.firedoglake.com/2009/10/19/cdc-down-low-men-not-respons...
Carrie Broadus, from Women Alive, tells us, "The worst thing we can do is pin this on black men. That's the worst thing we can do."
The CDC reports it's intravenous drug use and unprotected sex with multiple heterosexual partners are more likely the cause of the increased HIV infection rates among black women.
Precious, who is living with HIV, told NoMoreDownLow.TV, "I was astonished, shocked because I didn't think an African American woman... a heterosexual woman at that... could acquire HIV."
NBA legend Magic Johnson shared with NoMoreDownLow.TV, "White gay men took care of their community and brought the numbers down. We need to somehow get that blueprint and say this is what we have to do in our community to bring the numbers down. And I think if we can do that, it's not just going to be better for the black community but for the Latino community as well."
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