New State Initiative to Tackle Hiv/Aids 'Crisis' Among African Americans

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"This is part and parcel of a campaign to keep talking about his subject, not just once or twice, and not just one press conference and hope your agencies do what they are supposed to do and hope that people get it on the first shot," he said, "but to constant and consistently talk about this problem... it's a threat to life and health and it's something that we need to be talking about all the time, all around the community, so that we can raise awareness and raise consciousness."

"We don't know our HIV status. Most Blacks will find out during the AIDS stages; we've already been infected 10 years, which means we don't get to benefit from the treatment and care. So dollars for testing will actually mean that the mortality rate of AA with HIV will decrease. It's a cycle with HIV and how it all connects together. People will get medicine, treatment and live longer."

"African Americans have been in absolute denial," she said. "I'm hoping that some of the funding will go to churches, community-based organizations, to people who know how to speak to their people, because we know that the best organizing happens locally."

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New State Initiative to Tackle Hiv/Aids 'Crisis' Among African Americans

When Gov. Rod Blagojevich stopped by Northeastern Illinois University's Center for Inner City Studies Thursday to announce a HIV/AIDS awareness campaign for African Americans, he c...

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