HIV Message Is Simple: Get Tested; Efforts to Lower the Rate of Virus in Black Community Focus of Tuesday Gathering

Community organizers in San Diego are hosting an event on Tuesday they hope will galvanize African-American efforts to tackle HIV/AIDS locally and nationally.

“I Am My Brother’s/Sister’s Keeper: Fight HIV/AIDS” will be held at 6 p.m. in the Tubman-Chavez Multicultural Center in Lincoln Park; the event includes a panel discussion and free HIV testing, entertainment, and refreshments. It is being held on National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day as a way to build the response to disproportionately high rates of the disease among African Americans.

Terry Cunningham, chief of San Diego County’s HIV, STD and Hepatitis Branch of Public Health Services, said progress on the issue is ongoing: “We’ve gone a long way from people not wanting to talk about AIDS to having very frank discussions. I’m hoping that’s made a difference.”

The nonprofit Faith-Based Working Group of San Diego, organizer of Tuesday’s event, hosts awareness-raising forums year-round, said representative Kimberly Moore, who also is outreach coordinator at a nonprofit that supports women and families affected by HIV/AIDS, Christie’s Place.

Moore said the panelists represent a cross-section of the black community. “We wanted individuals who can give us insights into what we need to do or what’s working in getting the word out,” she noted. “A lot of us have taken to social media and marketing that targets the African-American community.”

For more information on the event, telephone Moore at 619-729-2066.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!