Danger signs in the black community
Posted on April 15th, 2008 – 6:04 PMBy Josephine Marcotty
The latest Minnesota HIV statistics tell an alarming story about growing rates among African Americans. My colleague Warren Wolfe Tuesday talked to someone who thinks everyone needs more education about what’s going on. Here’s his report:
The high rates of AIDs and HIV among the African American community in Minnesota is the canary in the coal mine, says Lorraine Teel, head of the Minnesota AIDS Project.
Rates of HIV and AIDS is 13 times higher among American-born blacks and 28 times as great among African-born blacks than it is for whites, the state health department reported Tuesday.
”The figures are telling us about the disintegration of the black family - about men in prison, men who can’t find work, men who turn to drugs,” said Teel, who’s been with the AIDs project for 18 years.
“The pool of available men is shrinking, the chance of multiple partners is increasing, and the risks of transmitting AIDS is rising,” she said. The problem becomes more complex among African-born men, who bring different traditions, cultures and sexual mores with them to America.
“We need to put more effort into educating everyone,” Teel said. “Just saying, ‘AIDS is bad’ won’t do it. We need that, and we need faith-based education of parents, complete sex education in schools, public health campaigns, heck, even a friendly reminder with your tax refund asking if you know your HIV status.”
While she wants an increase in broad-based campaigns, the Health Department is trying to target high-risk groups with its $1.4 million in grants for education and prevention. That, Peter Carr of the state health department, is the best way to use scarce resources. But he agrees that rates are troubling.
”We need to figure out more about why that is and what to do about it,” he said.
Anyone else have ideas on what to do?
One response to "Danger signs in the black community"
Quick, Katherine Kersten better weigh in on this: The answer is not education, lest these people understand their bodies and the causes of HIV. Tell them not to have sex and invoke a higher moral law. Then blame the liberals when their “abstinence based” policies fail.
