Miami Herald - February 7, 2006
Andrea Robinson, arobinson@MiamiHerald.com

The message is part of the sixth annual National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, a call to arms from health educators and activists who hope to halt the spread of the virus in a community that has been particularly affected.

In the early 1980s, AIDS cases largely centered on gay white men. Today, blacks make up about half of new cases in Florida, although they comprise about 13 percent of the state population.

Nationwide, the HIV diagnosis rate for blacks in 2004 was more than eight times higher than that for whites -- 76.3 per 100,000 tested compared to 9.0 per 100,000 for whites, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC last fall announced decreases in HIV diagnosis rates among blacks in Florida and 32 other states from 2001 to 2004. But on Monday, a CDC researcher warned that doesn't necessarily mean a real decrease in new infections.

"We're not out of the woods," said Kevin Fenton, director of the CDC's infectious disease unit.

Fenton said fewer people may be getting tested and that those getting tested may be in lower risk groups. More study is needed, he emphasized.

CDC spokeswoman Jessica Frickey said that nationwide from 2001 to 2004 HIV diagnosis rates declined for both black men (4.4 percent annually) and women (6.8 percent annually), as well as among intravenous drug users.

The only exception was among men who have sex with men. The diagnosis rate for that group remains relatively stable, she said.

"It shows we're making progress in some areas, but we still have a lot of work to do in groups that are hard hit," Frickey said.

Vanessa Mills, founder of the Miami-based AIDS prevention agency Empower U, and workers from other agencies will sponsor events today to push steps they believe will lower the numbers: get educated, get involved, get tested and get treated.

In Miami-Dade, the main event is a community health fair at the Joseph Caleb Center at 5400 NW 22nd Ave.

"Our main goal is to mobilize the community and to encourage African Americans in particular to get tested for HIV," Mills said. "We're in our third decade of the AIDS epidemic. It has changed in many ways. Now the majority affected are African Americans and other people of color."

At the state Capitol, Sen. Frederica Wilson, D-Miami, and Rep. Curtis Richardson, D-Tallahassee, will lead a group of black state lawmakers who will publicly be tested for the virus.

Kira Villamizar, director of prevention at the Miami-Dade Health Department, said it is difficult to gauge the reasons for the statistical declines without further research -- other than that people are much more aware of the virus than they were years ago.

According to the state Department of Health, the number of HIV cases reported in Florida went from 5,992 in 2001 to 5,621 in 2005. Among blacks, the figures went from 3,366 in 2001 to 2,761 last year.

Still, health department outreach coordinator Alberto Santana said, barriers remain to spreading the AIDS prevention message, including homophobia, racism and stigma.

***

AWARENESS DAY

Several community agencies will team with the Miami-Dade Health Department today to observe the sixth annual National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.

Activities kick off with a press conference at 10a.m. at the Overtown Youth Center, 450 NW 14th St. There also will be a health expo starting at 11 a.m. at the Joseph Caleb Center, 5400 NW 22nd Ave., followed by an arts showcase and talent show at 6 p.m.

Participating organizations include Empower U, MOVERS, South Florida AIDS Network and The Village South.

For more information, call 786-318-2337.

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