Posts
US communities will observe National
Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on Wednesday, March 20, to honor American
Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians who are HIV-infected, affected
otherwise by the disease, or who have died from HIV/AIDS.
Native communities have the fourth
highest incidence of HIV. CDC reports that in 2009, 3,702 American Indians were
diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, and 2,387 were living with the virus. High HIV
incidence among American Indians is attributed to poverty, lack of access to health
education, discrimination in healthcare delivery, “cultural differences,” and
social stigma.
According to Dr. Ed Ehlinger,
Minnesota’s commissioner of health, 121 HIV-infected American Indians (70 males
and 51 females) were living in Minnesota in 2011. Since the beginning of the
epidemic, 221 HIV cases have been diagnosed among American Indians in
Minnesota; 96 of these individuals have died.
The Minnesota Department of Health
provides 27 community-based HIV programs through its STD and HIV Section and
Office of Minority and Multicultural Health. To prevent the spread of HIV,
Ehlinger recommended HIV testing; delaying or avoiding sexual activity; using
condoms consistently and correctly; avoiding sharing needles for injection drug
use, tattooing, or piercing; and adhering to HIV treatment.
On Wednesday, March 20, from 10:00
a.m. to 4:00 p.m., the Indigenous Peoples Task Force and the Indian Health
Board will offer free, walk-in screenings for HIV, hepatitis C, blood pressure,
and blood sugar at the All Nations Indian Church located at 1515 East 23rd
Street, Minneapolis.
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!
