Subscribe to Breaking NewsWithers: Washington D.C. HIV rates equal to Uganda
This should shock no one, especially after the late summer 2008 report by the Black AIDS Institute. A study today will show that at least 3 percent of Washington D.C. residents have either HIV or AIDS.
“Our rates are higher than West Africa,” said Shannon L. Hader, director of the District’s HIV/AIDS Administration, who headed the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s work in Zimbabwe. “They’re on par with Uganda and some parts of Kenya.”
Sexual contact between men continues to be the “leading mode of transmission.” Right behind are heterosexual transmission and injection drug use. Three percent of black women are infected, mainly because of higher heterosexual transmission, and black men have an infection rate of close to 7 percent.
Allow me a moment of funkiness: this is something to get mad at as opposed to some tired cartoon in a tired newspaper. Anyone willing to pay attention would know HIV and AIDS is a major health epidemic in the black community. While many organizations have sounded the alarm and published tons of materials noting the epidemic, the black community as a whole has not paid attention. Sure our anger hits code red over imagined slights or stuff that doesn’t matter. Was there a reason why anyone lost any sleep over the “musings” of radio host Don Imus. Too many of us practice a “don’t ask, don’t tell” mentality when it comes to HIV (or sexuality) and as all the studies show this attitude kills us.
At some point we are going to get serious about our health, making demands on ourselves and health providers. The time has passed for a report like this to be published minus any outrage at our silence about our own destruction.
Congratulations Mr. Withers – I must say I am surprised that you’ve taken issue with the Black Community.
The DC infection rate is a simple case of “we reap what we sow.”
The HIV organizations have tried to open clinics and prevention centers in South Central LA – only to be threatened and run out of the area.
The Black Community is so homophobic and associates HIV as a “gay disease.”
This is a perfect example of how homophobia hurts EVERYONE.
Eddie,
“Congratulations Mr. Withers – I must say I am surprised that you’ve taken issue with the Black Community.”
Keep pushing that memo. Glad to see your comedic skills are still working at full force.
Enjoy your week.
James
Perhaps we need to spend more time fightng lethal illness than gay marriage. “Black AIDS Institute?’ Does that mean that “colorless” people aren’t included in treatment, diagnosis, statistics?
I guess if all us gay men weren’t racists the rates would be different. Funny how we are still the largest group of people fighting and searching for cures, donaters of funding, and awareness raisers despite being fought by society on moral issues.
Perhaps we just need an AIDS Council rather than one identified by skin color. My guess is that many of the men involved in the statistics are hiding that they are gay, continuing to have unprotected sex, failing to get tested/treated, and then being ostracized by their own community once the truth comes to light.
We do not need to segregate public health issues by color. We do need to get educational awareness into the communities affected but not at the expense of exclusion. Do these statistics include Caucasian, Asian, Hispanic numbers or are we only concerned with Black people with AIDS?
Having lost hundreds of friends of all colors over the past three decades I find it very limiting to view a public health issue by race only. Perhaps the picture above should be a black man pointing a gun to his own head. Nobody is doing this to people. It is a self inflicted wound. By showing him in the crosshairs you imply that this is an attack by an outside force.
People who are infected in this day and age are not ignorant to the disease. They simply do not follow basic precautions. Given the current unplanned pregnacy rates of all races it seems very likely that unprotected sex is the norm rather than the exception.
Perhaps they need to stop living in denial about their gayness and they might comprehend that they can get AIDS even if they deny being gay.
This horrible public health issue will never get better as long as people are forced to live secret lives. You are only as sick as your secrets.
This is one instance where stupidity is not only painful, it can be fatal. It is a sad catch-22 that the black community is so homophobic that many black gay men feel forced to operate on the DL, yet this atmosphere of fear and the “safety” of the closet is their worst enemy when it comes to HIV transmission and education. Maybe when enough have died and have been infected, they will fianlly attempt some serious soul-searching and give up their hate.
Myke,
“Perhaps we need to spend more time fightng lethal illness than gay marriage. “Black AIDS Institute?’ Does that mean that “colorless” people aren’t included in treatment, diagnosis, statistics?”
No, not really but I’m sensing you really aren’t looking for an asnwer.
Enjoy your day.
James
The graphic that accompanies this article is offensive and should be taken down immediately.
That imagine is from a failed HIV testing social marketing campaign in Philadelphia. The campaign was targeting black gay men, most of whom were offended by the use of the scope over his face.
The campaign caused such a backlash that it was discontinued shortly after it was introduced to the public.
Isiah,
Thanks for making my point. We get mad about style but forget the substance.
Sincerely,
James
Sadly DC is a hotbed re HIV it seems. On this site a few months ago it said that people are more apt to get the illness if they have low self respect. Then they are more likely to not take precautions with desired sexual partners. But why the self-destructive behavior? Maybe, Black, white, hispanic LGBTs, are all more oppressed than many would imagine.
Withers,
Thanks for a very well put article. I know I have disagreed with you in the past, but I think you put it spot on when you said that facts of the ground are more important than the opinions of Imus or anyone else for that matter.
If people would put aside childish attitudes and decide enough is enough then we as a world regardless of race, gender, orientation, or religion can work together to educate and fight this horrible disease. We all need to grow up, learn to compromise. Both sides of every issue need to now reach out to the other. Sometimes we are too busy fighting each other to know that all of us wish HIV gone, regardless or race or religion.
Not looking for an answer. Yeah, James. Just worked at The AIDS Healthcare Foundation for 15 years and have been a volunteer for almost 30 years. The answer has to be for everyone. Not just some. I tried outreach in minority communities. No help. No sympathy for those who suffered. But thank you for dismissing 30 years of free help especially given that I have always been monogamous and not even at risk myself.(But practiced safe sex when single).
I was actually born in DC and grew up there.
The answers don’t lay in focusing on a group. Everyone is at risk and general education on safe sex practice and homophobia are two of the best ways to fight HIV/AIDS. I know very few people who do not know what it is and how you get it. It all depends on the individual and what they do with the information at hand.
Myke,
“But thank you for dismissing 30 years of free help especially given that I have always been monogamous and not even at risk myself.(But practiced safe sex when single).”
Oh lord. Please stop it. No one is dismissing your work. But your “question” about the Black AIDS Institute sure is strange for someone who says he has been doing HIV/AIDS work.
Sincerely,
James
LJKelley Said:
We all need to grow up, learn to compromise. Both sides of every issue need to now reach out to the other. Sometimes we are too busy fighting each other to know that all of us wish HIV gone, regardless or race or religion.
========
Amen
AIDS is not color specific. Treatment shouldn’t be limitewd or focused on one group over another. We are all at risk. We should all have the same consideration. What have you done James?
Myke,
“Treatment shouldn’t be limitewd or focused on one group over another.”
Is this a serious statement? You think the Black AIDS Institute wants to limit treatment only to black folk? Really? This is your argument now?
Sincerely,
James
Not to sound too detached to get the point, but it leads me to another question. Are there significant differences in HIV rates among blacks in different parts of DC (e.g. Anacostia vs. Georgia Av)? How do these numbers compare to adjacent cities and counties in Maryland and Virginia?