The National Action Network kicks off its 11th annual convention today with a health panel, “The Cost and Casualties of Silence: HIV/AIDS in Black America."
In the nation's capitol, the costs are staggering. At least three percent of DC residents have HIV or AIDS, including nearly seven percent of black men.
Phill Wilson, founder and CEO of the Black AIDS Institute, said:
The AIDS epidemic in Washington DC is an unmitigated disaster and a national disgrace.
In the capital of the world’s richest and most powerful country, HIV prevalence is higher than in Port-au-Prince, the capital of the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. HIV prevalence among Black men in Washington is 40% higher than in sub-Saharan Africa generally. Infection levels among all Blacks in the District of Columbia are higher than in 28 African countries.
Shockingly, these statistics likely understate the extent of HIV infection in Washington D.C., as they include only people who have tested HIV-positive.
Know your status. To find an HIV testing site near you, text your zip code to KNOWIT (566948) or go here.
To register for the NAN conference, send an email here.
