Skip Global navigation and goto content

It's a New Day in Public Health.

The Florida Department of Health works to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts.

Skip MegaMenu and goto content

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Event "Taking It to the Streets"

February 03, 2017

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Event "Taking It to the Streets" 

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FL– Florida Department of Health in Indian River County, in collaboration with the Indian River HIV/AIDS Awareness Network, will hold the “Taking it to Streets” event on February 11th in recognition of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. This event is an effort to help raise awareness of HIV/AIDS and help make a difference by providing an opportunity for people to get tested, treated, educated and involved in local communities.

This year’s event in Indian River County will be held on Saturday, February 11th at Grant Park/Fellsmere Community Prayer Worship Preschool, 1040 West Grant Avenue in Fellsmere from 10:00am – 2:00pm. Free HIV/STD testing will be offered and other health vendors will also be participating.   

“It important to share this year’s theme “I am my Brother/Sister’s Keeper: Fight HIV/AIDS” with the community”, stated John May, Florida Department of Health in Indian River HIV Outreach Coordinator.

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD) is an HIV testing and treatment community mobilization initiative for Blacks in the United States. Since 1999, February 7th has been designated as National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, and this day carries with it a consistent and powerful message- Get Educated about HIV and AIDS; Get Involved in community prevention efforts; Get Tested to know your status, and Get Treated to receive the continuum of care to live with HIV/AIDS.  By emphasizing a consistent message, the NBHAAD initiative has been able to empower individuals to educate themselves on the basics of HIV and AIDS in their local communities, get tested to find out their HIV/AIDS status, and engage others to do the same.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports:

  • African Americans are the racial/ethnic group most affected by HIV.
  • Blacks make up only 12% of the U.S. population but had nearly half (44%) of all new HIV infections in the United States in 2010.
  • Gay and bisexual men account for more than half of the new infections among African Americans; young gay and bisexual men aged 13 to 24 are the most affected of this group.
  • The number of HIV diagnoses among African American women has declined, though it is still high compared to women of other races/ethnicities.
  • According to the most recent data available, an estimated 1,148,200 persons aged 13 and older were living with HIV infection in the United States, including 207,600 (18.1%) persons whose infections had not been diagnosed.
  • Approximately 50,000 Americans become newly infected with HIV each year.

Get Educated! Get Involved! Get Tested! Get Treated!

For more information about this event, contact John May at 772-794-7477 or 772-473-5268, and for more information on National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, visit www.nationalblackaidsday.org

About the Florida Department of Health

The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

Follow us on Twitter at @HealthyFla and on Facebook. For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov

Error processing SSI file