This February 7 we recognize the 18th National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD). When NBHAAD was launched in 1999, HIV was the leading cause of death for Black men between the ages of 25 and 44. Although death rates have declined, African Americans are still disproportionately impacted by HIV, accounting for 40 percent of all people living with diagnosed HIV in 2014 while making up only 12 percent of the U.S. population. African Americans in the Southern U.S. are particularly impacted, accounting for more than half of all new HIV diagnoses in the region in 2015.
Infographics
CDC recommends that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 get tested for HIV at least once as part of routine health care and that people with certain risk factors get tested more often. Today, an estimated 1 in 8 African Americans living with HIV are unaware of their status. AIDSVu’s testing locator can help you find a testing site near you.
HIV testing is critical. Visit our Find Services section to find HIV testing services in your area.
On NBHAAD, get involved and join the fight to end HIV:
- EDUCATE FAMILY AND FRIENDS: Share AIDSVu’s infographics, which highlight the disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS on African Americans.
- GET TESTED: 1 in 8 African Americans living with HIV do not know they are infected. The only way to know if you have HIV is to get tested. Visit AIDSVu.org/testing to find a testing site near you.
- LEARN MORE ABOUT HIV WHERE YOU LIVE: Visit AIDSVu.org to explore interactive maps that visualize the epidemic’s impact on Black communities at the state, county, and ZIP-code levels.
- GET INVOLVED: The Black AIDS Institute has Black Treatment Advocates Networks (BTAN) in cities across the country. Go to blackaids.org to find the chapter nearest you.
