National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day Set for Thursday

Though it seldom makes headlines as in years past, HIV/AIDS continues to be a scourge, especially among the African-American community, according to state health officials.

On Thursday, Feb. 7, South Carolina will mark the 13th annual National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, and events are planned across the state to highlight the impact of the disease on African-American communities, the state Department of Health and Environmental Control announced today.

“South Carolina continues to have a disproportionate number of HIV/AIDS cases among African-Americans,” said Lisa Waddell, M.D. and deputy director for Preventive Services at DHEC. 

So, too, does the Upstate.

According to the latest available surveillance report, Greenville had 1,071 confirmed HIV/AIDS cases. Among those, blacks accounted for 619 cases (a prevalence rate of 747.5 cases per 100,000 population) compared to 369 for whites (a prevalence rate of 114.9).

In neighboring Pickens County, HIV/AIDS cases among whites (63) actually outnumbered blacks (31) more than two-to-one. However, given the demographic makeup of the county, the prevalence rate among blacks (378.1) far outstripped that of whites (60).

On a statewide level, according to DHEC statistics, African-Americans represent 28 percent of the state's population, yet account for 76 percent of the recently diagnosed HIV/AIDS cases in South Carolina.

Further, African-Americans have a case rate about 10 times greater than whites in South Carolina.

“To mark this National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, we'll partner with community-based organizations to sponsor activities such as free HIV testing and HIV educational forums at housing communities and other outreach settings,” Waddell said.

Various tests will be offered throughout the state, including the traditional blood draw method and the rapid test, which provides preliminary results in less than an hour, Waddell said.

“It is important to know your HIV status to reduce the risk of spreading the virus to others,” said Carmen Julious, executive director of Palmetto AIDS Life Support Services, one of DHEC’s HIV prevention partners in the Midlands. “Testing is free, confidential, and can be done in one hour. Almost 7,000 African-American men in South Carolina are living with HIV. Residents can help curb that number by being tested.”

Testing is at the core of this initiative as it is hoped that African-Americans will mark Feb. 7 of every year as their annual or bi-annual day to get tested for HIV, Waddell said. She also urged individuals, families, agencies and communities to learn the facts about HIV, getting tested, becoming involved and helping link persons with HIV to treatment.

For more information about National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day events, including local HIV testing sites, call DHEC’s South Carolina AIDS/STD Hotline at 800-322-AIDS (800-322-2437), or visit DHEC’s web site at: http://www.scdhec.gov/stdhiv.