June 27, 2010 is National HIV Testing day. It was founded in 1995 by the National Association of People with AIDS to promote early diagnoses and HIV testing.
As I listened to a PSA for HIV testing, I realized that I had never heard a condom commercial on that same radio station. I like a lot of musical genres, so I listen to a lot of music stations. The Black Eyed Peas, while regularly played on Top 40 or Pop stations, are not always on the play list for R&B stations. The same goes for Lenny Kravitz. And it also seems that way for condom advertisements.
The PSA’s for HIV Testing are part of a CDC outreach effort tailored to the African American community where almost half of all HIV/AIDS infections are diagnosed. According to CDC statistics (2004) AIDS is THE leading cause of death for black women aged 25-34; the third leading cause of death for black women aged 35-44; and the fourth leading cause of death for black women aged 45-54. That is an astounding, unfortunate and sad statistic.
The sadness continued as I learned that most women are infected through UNPROTECTED sex with an infected man. After that, Black women are infected by using tainted needles. Both ways of infection can be prevented, one by condom use and the second by using clean needles. So, it struck me as I listened to the R&B station that I had never heard a condom commercial on that same station; only the HIV PSA's. The PSA’s urge African Americans to test for HIV/AIDS and open a dialog about the disease. I cannot stress how important that is, but I just found the PSA’s…dry. This is no longer a new disease; to not talk about condoms or fresh needles as a means of prevention seems to be a statement that there are some things that we just won’t talk about!
African Americans are not alone in AIDS deaths. AIDS is the fourth leading cause of death for Hispanic women aged 35-44; the fifth leading cause for ALL women aged 35-44 and the sixth leading cause of death for all women aged 25-34. It seems that this disease is out to catch us all!
So, this is a call to ALL women to protect themselves and to use condoms...regularly…each time…for each sex act. And yes, oral sex is a sex act. Planned Parenthood locations give out free condoms; Wal-Mart (the low cost leader), has the cheapest condoms I’ve found in my area. What is harder to find in most drug and department stores are female condoms and dental dams. I couldn’t find ONE that carried female condoms and/or dental dams and I hit the usually suspects (Wal-Mart, Target, Walgreen's and CVS). Specialty shops or buying online would be your best bet there.
HIV/AIDS is an epidemic and it affects us all, not just African Americans. HIV infection rates are rising in Asia also. For this HIV Testing day (and beyond), do your part to make sure you're safe and healthy.
Get Tested!
Use Condoms!
Use fresh needles!
For more information about the National HIV Testing day, please go to: http://www.aids.gov/awareness-days/national-hiv-testing-day/
For testing sites near you: http://www.hivtest.org/
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