The Fayetteville Press Newspaper

AIDS is the number one killer of African-American women aged 23-34. In the African-American community, discussing HIV is taboo. This is a conversation that the community needs to have. We should be afraid. Presently, African-American women have the highest rate of HIV infections and are 23 times more likely to contract AIDS versus other ethnic groups. A woman is twice as likely to contract HIV infection during unprotected vaginal intercourse with an infected partner. Why is this happening in our community? These women are wives, girlfriends, mothers, sisters head of household and the gatekeepers of the African-American community.

There is a big debate over whether inmates are the main reason African-American women are getting infected with HIV. The prevalence of HIV and AIDS is six times greater among inmates versus the general population. Various reasons for this deadly epidemic entail brothers on the down low, intravenous drug use, having unprotected sex and promiscuous sexual behavior. Socioeconomic and cultural factors including poverty, discrimination and inadequate access to health care often render young African-American women more vulnerable to HIV than any other ethnic group. Blacks tend to be diagnosed with HIV infection within a month of developing AIDS and die within a month of AIDS diagnosis.

There is nothing wrong with asking your partner about their HIV status or having a physical exam prior to an intimate relationship. Ask questions about past history and sexual orientation. We are now living in a society where people live double lives, or shall I say double lies, and put others at risk because of it. These actions can destroy the spirit of a woman and cause her to not trust.

Sisters please protect yourself by using condoms and getting tested. Know your HIV status. Your body is your temple. You are the strength of the family and must be here to raise our children. Take care of yourself. Listen to your intuition. Do not ignore your gut feeling. If your gut is telling you something is not right, please listen to it. Please take heed to this warning.