World AIDS Day 2009

Today is World AIDS Day; a day to reflect on the devastating effects HIV/AIDS has had globally. You may be wondering what this has to do with you. A lot, if the latest HIV/AIDS rate statistics are anything to go by. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women account for 64% of HIV/AIDS cases among women nationwide. It's also the leading cause of death for young Black women between ages 25 and 34, most of whom contract it through heterosexual sex and drug use. Now more than ever an open conversation about the disease can help us dispel myths and stigma.

Why World AIDS Day was created: The World Health Organization established World AIDS Day in 1988 to raise awareness and focus attention on the global AIDS pandemic, four years after scientists linked the Human Immuodeficiency Virus (HIV) as the cause of AIDS. At the time, people were so ignorant about the disease that rumors were spread that it was as contagious as a cold, could be transmitted through public toilets or a simple handshake with the wrong person.

Why it's important: The Center for Disease Control and Prevention describes the climbing rate of HIV/AIDS cases in the African-American community a "public health crisis." Over a million Americans live with HIV/AIDS (49% of whom are African-American), as do 33 million people worldwide. One in 30 Black women (it's 1 in 588 for white women) will be diagnosed with HIV/AIDS at some point in their lives, says Dr. Kevin Fenton, director of the CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS awareness.

One in five people living with HIV are unaware of their status, according to the CDC. Add to this, between 2004 and 2009 the proportion of African-Americans who said "they had seen, heard or read a lot about AIDS in the past year declined by almost half from 62% to 33%," according to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

What you can do: Let's face it: HIV/AIDS is an intimidating issue to take on. Seeing celebs like Alicia Keys and Bono raise millions of dollars for AIDS awareness is inspiring, but the issue requires us to do our part as well, as little as it may be, for our daughters, sisters and mothers.

Take small steps on World AIDS Day to keep the conversation moving.

• Tweet: Make World AIDS Day the highest Trending Topic on Twitter. Use the #hashtag #WAD09 for all your World AIDS Day posts. While you're there, join the conversation and click through other people's thoughts on the subject.

• Text: Send your zip code to "KNOWIT" (566948) and find out about testing sites in your area. Forward them to your friends and family and encourage them to get tested, confidentially.

• Start a conversation: Be a good friend and raise the topic to your girlfriends (or whoever you feel would best benefit from it) for an honest conversation about HIV/AIDS. Put together a myths and facts package to share and discuss. You can download an HIV/AIDS fact sheet from aids.gov

• Download: Get the "Facing AIDS" web badge from AIDS.gov and post it to your Facebook profile, blog or website.

• Shop with a purpose: Starbucks is donating five cents of every beverage sold to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Nike is selling special red laces called "Lace up. Save Lives", proceeds of which also benefit the Global Fund. Gap's Product Red offerings split the price tag 50/50, half of which goes to fight the spread of AIDS in Africa. 

• Go to a concert: Buy a Live Nation concert ticket and they'll donate a portion of proceeds to Life Beat, an HIV awareness organization.

• Blog about it: The National Institute on Drug Abuse is partnering with the US government for an event called Bloggers Unite, where bloggers join as a single voice for HIV/AIDS awareness.

The theme for this year's World AIDS Day is "Universal Access and Human Rights."