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Jamar Rogers, a 30-year-old singer
of “The Voice” fame, is sharing the story of his early AIDS diagnosis as part
of the “Let’s Stop HIV Together” campaign, a CDC-launched social awareness
campaign. He has been traveling to high schools and universities, lecturing
students about the importance of safe sex.
Rogers was diagnosed with full-blown
AIDS after six years of using methamphetamine, sharing needles, and having
unprotected sex. He viewed the13th anniversary of National Black HIV/AIDS
Awareness Day with a mixture of despair and hope. Rogers felt that the day was
not only a time to recognize that blacks continue to have the greatest burden
of HIV in the nation, but also a time for lawmakers, leaders, and the community
to look for an end of the epidemic. He noted that there are still many people
at risk and engaging in risky behavior. By sharing his story, he is also trying
to warn individuals that they do not have to wait until they are as sick as he
was before he found out.
Rogers wanted youth to know that
HIV/AIDS is still around. He said that the present approaches to educating
youth about safer sex is not working, and that his approach is from the point
of view of self-respect and self-love. Although he is not sure whether his
method is working, Rogers aims to continue to travel and share his story as much
as possible.
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!
