The face of AIDS: overwhelmingly Black and female: international conference in Toronto brings together AIDS scholars, activists to discuss ways to combat the disease.

The face of AIDS: overwhelmingly Black and female: international conference in Toronto brings together AIDS scholars, activists to discuss ways to combat the disease. TORONTO More than two decades after HIV HIV(Human Immunodeficiency Virus), either of two closely related retroviruses that invade T-helper lymphocytes and are responsible for AIDS. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS in the United States. , the virus that causes AIDS, firstbegan killing gay White men, AIDS in America has become a Black disease.And the face it is wearing is overwhelmingly female. The disease has quietly become the Black woman's burden and,for many, a death sentence. AIDS is the top killer of Black womenbetween the ages of 25 and 34. But the tide could be turning as infectedBlack women begin to channel their anger into power and protection, saysDr. Melanie Thompson, founder of the AIDS Research Consortium ofAtlanta. She is the principal investigator Noun 1. principal investigator - the scientist in charge of an experiment or research projectPIscientist - a person with advanced knowledge of one or more sciences of a new Atlanta-based studythat found that faster HIV tests administered in the field lead to moreyoung and low-income women getting tested. Thompson's organizationis one of the first nonprofit community-based HIV/AIDS research centersin the United States United States,officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . At the 16th International AIDS Conference Education, networking and the promotion of best practice are essential to enhancing the response to HIV/AIDS. IAS conferences provide opportunities to share experience, and increase the knowledge and expertise of professionals working in HIV/AIDS. inToronto, she was one of three presenters scheduled to share theirresearch on AIDS testing and the mobilization of Black college students,but the morning forum attracted an audience of one--a reporter. At a time when Black women make up 64 percent of the nation'sfemale AIDS patients, HIV testing is critically important, saysThompson. She is partnering with Spelman College Spelman College:see Atlanta Univ. Center. Spelman CollegePrivate, historically black, women's liberal arts college in Atlanta, Ga. Its history is traced to 1881, when two Boston women began teaching 11 black women, mostly ex-slaves, in an Atlanta and Georgia StateUniversity HistoryGeorgia State University was founded in 1913 as the Georgia School of Technology's "School of Commerce." The school focused on what was called "the new science of business. to provide once-a-month, on-site testing for students inAtlanta. In the Atlanta metropolitan area The Atlanta metropolitan area, commonly referred to as metro Atlanta in Georgia, is the ninth-largest metropolitan area in the United States and consists of up to 28 counties in Georgia. , HIV/AIDS "is aninsidious, growing epidemic that has gone virtually unnoticed in theBlack community," she says. According to according toprep.1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians.2. In keeping with: according to instructions.3. the Georgia Department ofHealth, 88 percent of the women diagnosed with AIDS in Atlanta last yearwere Black Many of these women are also engaged in daily battles againstpoverty, discrimination, violence and domestic abuse--issues that posebarriers to them getting tested, treated or just staying healthy. But fear of infection or death apparently hasn't been enoughto motivate some Black women to protect themselves, says Dazon DixonDiallo, founder and president of Atlanta's SisterLove Inc. Foundedin 1989, SisterLove is today considered the largest women's AIDSorganization in the Southeast. "Despite the data, we don'tpersonalize the disease or see ourselves at risk," Diallo says. Knowing your HIV status, she explains, not only helps to curb thespread of the disease by reducing risky behaviors, but can help thosewho are infected make informed decisions about their health careoptions. While HIV testing has become increasingly cost-effective, testingrates for young and at-risk women remain low, according to the study,which began three years ago and concluded this year. The study focusedon 1,310 women of all races. But for the Black community, Thompson, whois also a private practitioner in Atlanta and serves on Georgia'sState Task Force on AIDS, says testing and creating awareness of thedisease are imperative. Thompson's findings "are right on target with what weknow works in the Black community for reaching our people, especiallywomen," Diallo says. Bringing HIV testing, which has for years beenshrouded in secrecy and stigma, to the Black community reflects "acultural phenomenon that has taken people in the West a long time tofigure out," says Diallo. Despite the staggering numbers of infections and deaths, HIV/AIDSremains "a very unrecognized problem in the Black community"observes Thompson. As AIDS hits ever-closer to home, she says Blacks canno longer afford to distance themselves from a disease that they and thenation once shrugged off as a problem specific to gay America andintravenous drug users. Thompson's study shows that testing that is readily available,especially when conducted outside of traditional health facilities, canmotivate more Black women to get tested. While she followed womenseeking testing at traditional health care facilities, she alsoconducted AIDS tests in the field at neighborhood churches, publichousing complexes and community centers, for example. Many of the womenin the study cited the convenience as a primary reason why they chose totake the AIDS test AIDS testLab medicine Any test performed on a standard venipuncture blood specimen which detects HIV antibodies–ELISA, or antigens–eg, Western blot, or viral nucleic acid–eg, viral load by RNA. See Western blot. . The study also found that traditional HIV testingprograms weren't reaching African-American women because the testsweren't convenient, accessible, anonymous or affordable. The AIDS tests conducted by the AIDS Research Consortium of Atlantatake 20-30 minutes, letting patients know quickly if they are HIVpositive. If the tests do come back positive, the consortium draws bloodto confirm the T-cell count, which determines how advanced the diseaseis, and then offers counseling and anti-AIDS medication. But when it comes to clinical trials, Blacks, especially women,remain under-represented. Initial findings in a small pilot studyinvolving Black women at high risk for HIV showed that while there wasan awareness of clinical trials and a willingness to participate, therewere also many barriers. According to the study, many of the Black womenstudied distrusted the research and experimental drugs, were concernedfor safety and were worried about a lack of access to Black health careproviders. "As long as HIV testing remains a separate service from otherroutine health care or testing," Diallo says, "it willcontinue to be stigmatized and in the margins." RELATED ARTICLE: Africa: the epicenter of the AIDS pandemic Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has led to the deaths of more than 25 million people since it was first recognized in 1981, making it one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history. . A continent away, in AIDS-ravaged Africa, an effort similar to thatin the United States is underway to mobilize and harness the potentialof Africa and its communities to redirect life-saving HIV/AIDS programsdeveloped by and for Africans. "What most of the Western world fails to understand is therange of knowledge, sophistication so��phis��ti��cate?v. so��phis��ti��cat��ed, so��phis��ti��cat��ing, so��phis��ti��catesv.tr.1. To cause to become less natural, especially to make less naive and more worldly.2. , solidarity, generosity and sheer,unbridled resilience at the grass-roots of the continent, particularlyamongst the women. We underestimate Africa; we always underestimateAfrica," wrote Stephen Lewis, the United Nations' specialenvoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, in a column he guest edited forCanada's Ottawa Citizen. Lewis' column ran late last monthduring the 16th International AIDS Conference in Toronto. The Africa that Lewis writes and speaks about so passionately is atthe epicenter of the AIDS pandemic and is home to two-thirds of theworld's HIV-positive population. Sub-Saharan Africa has nearly 26million HIV-positive people. In the continent most plagued by the deadly virus, there is also anenormous amount of potential, resilience and hope for someday winningthe battle against HIV, says Dr. Daraus Bukenya, the HIV/AIDS andtuberculosis program director for the 49-year-old African Medical &Research Foundation. Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, AMREF AMREF African Medical & Research Foundation, Inc. sent adelegation, including Bukenya, to Toronto to take part in the Augustconference. While calling for change in the delivery of HIV/AIDSprograms on the continent, Bukeyna implored the audience to"understand Africa." Nongovernmental organizations working inAfrica, like AMREE have been largely unenthusiastic about manyprevention and treatment strategies discussed at the conference,including abstinence programs, male circumcision circumcision(sûr'kəmsĭzh`ən), operation to remove the foreskin covering the glans of the penis. It dates back to prehistoric times and was widespread throughout the Middle East as a religious rite before it was introduced among the and the use ofanti-retroviral drugs, or ARVs. Bukenya admits that the situation in Africa is "unique andcomplex," but he says change lies in working with the individualcommunities. He contends that many established HIV/AIDS programs inAfrica have failed because the communities weren't engaged in theirown health care. Bukenya says the real driving forces behind thepandemic pandemic/pan��dem��ic/ (pan-dem��ik)1. a widespread epidemic of a disease.2. widely epidemic.pan��dem��icadj.Epidemic over a wide geographic area.n. on the continent are poverty, poor health, gender inequalityand stigma. He says many Africans don't have access to life-savinganti-retroviral drugs even in areas where they are freely available.Others are forced to choose between feeding their families and providingfor a sick family member. According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, newHIV infections every year are outpacing AIDS-related deaths. InSub-Saharan Africa, for example, there were 2.7 million new infectionsin 2005 and 2 million deaths. Less than one in five people at risk ofbecoming infected in the region have access to basic preventionservices. Says Bukenya: "ARVs, promises and appropriate health care willnever be delivered; stigma will never be dealt with, and HIV will neverbe managed until these critical groups form part and parcel of healthcare delivery. It's time to deliver, but it is also time tounderstand Africa." --By B. Denise HawkinsAIDS in America:Racial/Ethnic Breakdown, 2004American Indian/Alaska Native 1%Black 50%White 30%Hispanic 18%Asian/Pacific Islander 1%SOURCE: U.S. CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTIONNote: Table made from pie chart.