MS Department of Health adds Special Focus on HIV in African American Population

Three quarters of all newly diagnosed cases of HIV in Mississippi are among African Americans. MPB's Lawayne Childrey reports on renewed efforts to combat this startling trend.

As HIV, the virus that cause AIDS continues to spread in Mississippi it has caught the attention of Black Entertainment Television.

"Wrap it up, put on a condom."

Joe Claire, host of BET's rap it up, a program about the AIDS epidemic in America, was recently in Jackson for a frank discussion with teens about HIV. It's a conversation he says more parents should have with their teens instead leaving it up to their favorite rap star.

" You like that record we like her and we like her too? That ain't even a rap record no more that's a pop record. Everybody in the world is hearing that record. So for us to give them a childish kind of commercial, "Don't get HIV and AIDS," mean while, "I like a long head thick red bone." Come on, you can't beat that. So when we do these discussions we don't play with the kids, we get real."

According to the state Department of Health nearly 10 thousand Mississippians currently have HIV. And according to Juanita Davis, Director of Prevention Education there is no sign of slowing down. That's why she's advocating education to help fight this potentially deadly disease.

"And stop putting our heads in the sand and just thinking that abstinence is gonna work when we have the highest rates of chlamydia and ghonneria in the nation and we have the highest's rates of births to teens in the nation, somebody in Mississippi is having sex. And we to deal with this problem because if anyone has ever had sex they are at risk for becoming infected with HIV."

Reports show that the majority of newly infected cases are among young black men. Aids activist Eric Baily of Jackson says the problem is that many of these men are not telling their partners of their HIV status.

"He doesn't look like he got anything but guess what he has it. You could not look at me that I have HIV. Been had it for 9 years, couldn't nobody tell me that unless you seen me give my story or seen me talk about my status dealing with HIV and AIDS. "

For free a HIV Test contact your local health department. For MPB News, I'm Lawayne Childrey.