WHY IS HIV/AIDS KILLING WOMEN of COLOR? HIV by the Numbers: Facts, Statistics, and You 2014
But we’ve so much more work to do to battle the spread of HIV among African- Americans, and particularly among women. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that nearly half of the more than 1 million Americans living with HIV/AIDS are African- American and that 40 percent of the nearly 563,000 Americans with AIDS who died in 2007 were black.Among all women in the United States living with HIV/AIDS, 64 percent are African-American. In fact, the rate of AIDS diagnosis for African-American women nationwide is 22 times the rate for white women.
This problem is more pronounced in places like Washington, D. C., where the prevalence of HIV and AIDS among African- American women rivals that of Nigeria.
Dr. Sam Ho, M.D., is the chief medical officer for United Healthcare
HIV by the Numbers: Facts, Statistics, and You
HIV by the Numbers: Facts, Statistics, and You
New 2014 Data on HIV: HIV by the Numbers: Facts, Statistics, and You!
Click Here:
Here is my Contention & Observation:
Some "religious people" claim that HIV/AIDS is a judgment from God against homosexuality.
Our African American culture as other cultures of color are very much entrenched in "religion" that demonizes homosexuality; even those who do not attend church services and those who possess very little biblical knowledge on the subject matter; their judgment against homosexuality is quite pronounced. I would say that the prejudice against homosexuality is at an epidemic level and it has a stronghold in our communities which fosters prejudiced, hypocritical "religious" closeted, self-loathing, homophobic character influences in our society.
Personally, I don't believe that HIV and AIDS is a judgment from God against homosexuality. If HIV/AIDS is a judgment against homosexuality; then why the harsh judgment on heterosexual women of color or poor nations? This epidemic should have been a wake-up call to the body of Christ (church folk) many years ago as a "shaking" to come out of their DAZE of organized judgment and rebuke for the "gay community". The body of Christ should have taken this "Titanic of HIV/AIDS" by the helm in a loving Christ-like manner by commandeering and infiltrating the "gay community", homosexual and "on the Down Low" individuals with the true love and Gospel of Jesus Christ which is non-discriminating, non- alienating, it is NOT anti-homosexual and it IS for everyone. It should be the body of Christ that proclaim that we are fearfully and wonderfully made by the all knowing and loving creator and that he did not make a mistake when he created you as homosexual or heterosexual. The body of Christ should be promoting self- acceptance, monogamy and marriage for homosexual people as well, which is the key to halting HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Hebrews 13:4 Marriage is honourable in ALL, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
It's unfortunate that most in the body of Christ (the church) has decided to amp up their microphones of anti-homosexual prejudice in the name of God calling homosexuality sin and an abomination based on their flawed interpretation of scripture taking the liberty to interpret scripture as anti-homosexual (sin) by rewriting the word of God with other versions of the bible other than the King James Version to fit their logic and ideology. When reading those scriptures in their proper context and in all their TRUTH; those 5 or 6 scriptures condemns bisexuality, male to male sexual rape abuse, orgy worship to idols, male prostitution and the male prostitute's patrons; those scripture do not address or define Same Gender Loving People. Homosexual people may be different from the status-quo however it is the church's responsibility to embrace homosexual people as heterosexual people and minister the TRUE Gospel of Jesus Christ; not the inflicting anti-homosexual religious tradition.
I really believe that this whole (HIV and AIDS) matter in the African American community is simply about throwing caution to the wind and choosing to have unprotected sex and NOT facing real truth and brutal honesty about one's sexuality which stems from the generational, traditional religious (homophobic) rhetoric that is preached in our places of worship that promotes homosexuality as sin and THAT perpetuates and forces people to forsake the all knowing & loving God to live in the closet and participate in much of the "Down Low" promiscuous sexual activity in our communities which causes and spread disease. Our beautiful women of color & the souls of many other men & women are the victims of this crime committed by stubborn religious traditionalist who demonizes one's innate sexual identity as an abomination.
It is my goal and my endowment from from the Lord to encourage all of his people to study, live and learn the life of Jesus Christ and steer away from the religious traditionalist who pervert the true Gospel of Jesus Christ with their own discriminating ideologies.
I am speaking from the perspective of an African American Man who truly loves the Lord and could have easily married and gone the traditional family route + into the ministry and perhaps comfortably lived a life on the "Down Low" in order to appear as a pillar in my church, family and community. It has taken me 40 years to become true to myself and embrace my God-given, innate authenticity; which is far more liberating and spiritually fulfilling than living a conflicted mangled mess of a life involving other innocent souls in order to please the expectations of family, friends and church people with a facade or a distinguished disguise which has nothing to do with pleasing God or loving yourself.
What if the same Christian principles were taught to Same Gender Loving couples in our traditional places of worship regarding relationships and marriage as they are given to heterosexual couples: Put God first and foremost, pray together, love and value yourself, love and value your mate. Harming one another mentally, physically and sexually is not tolerated nor accepted. If those same principles were preached instead of the judgment and the rebuke; one would feel loved by God and the community and not forsaken by God as the traditionalist preach. There would be less (Down Low) sexual promiscuity and more spiritual responsibility. There would be much less disease (STDs and HIV/AIDS) There would be more LOVE.
Samuel M. Brown
I would love to hear your comments after you have spent some time perusing this site. If you have an experience that you would like to share and you would like to have it posted/featured on this site, email son_of_a_bishop3000@yahoo.com or just click comment below this line.
