Free Testing, Health Screenings and Live Music on National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

From the Hillsborough County Health Department:

The Hillsborough County Health Department in coordination with community partners will offer free confidential HIV/AIDS and STD testing on Thursday, Feb 7 in recognition of National Black HIV/ AIDS Day, at the Walgreens at 2115 E. Hillsborough Ave., from 1 to 5 p.m. 

This event is open to everyone. In addition to the free confidential HIV/ AIDS and STD testing visitors can take advantage of free health screenings, giveaways, and live music.

“National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is a national HIV/AIDS testing and treatment community mobilization effort designed to encourage Blacks across the United States and Territorial Areas to get educated, get tested, get treated, and get involved with HIV/AIDS, as it continues to devastate Black communities,” says LaMont “Montee” Evans, of Healthy Black Communities, Inc. and NBHAAD 2013 National Coordinator.

Healthy Black Communities, Inc. is looking for local, national and international celebrities to lend their voice, time, resources and talent to help mobilize Blacks around HIV/AIDS.

In 2009, Blacks accounted for 44 percent of all new HIV infections.
The AIDS diagnosis rate per 100,000 among Black adults/adolescents was 9 times that of whites in 2008. 

The AIDS diagnosis rate for Black men (85.5) was the highest of any group, followed by Black women (39.9).  By comparison, the rate among white men was 10.  The rate of new infections is also highest among Blacks and was 7 times greater than the rate among whites in 2006.

For more information about National Black HIV/ AIDS Awareness Day please visit www.blackaidsday.org, and for more information about HIV/ AIDS in Florida please visit www.doh.state.fl.us/disease_ctrl/aids/index.html.