It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see the way to change this devastating reality is through HIV prevention programs that arm women, and men, with the information they need to stop its spread. And yet our policymakers have cut millions of dollars in funding for AIDS prevention and drug assistance programs last year.

Why? Legislators hear so little from their voting constituents in support of AIDS funding. It’s an easy cut.

It’s also a travesty. Every day across our state, new infections are contracted, diagnoses are made, drug assistance is denied, in-patient hospital stays lengthen, costs rise, people die.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have sounded the alarm, naming South Carolina one of the top ten HIV “hot spots” in the nation. Let’s take up the charge by letting policymakers know we support funding of educational programs, clinical counseling and access to services, such as HIV testing, that are proven to reduce the spread of HIV.

Email your legislator today.

Today is HIV Vaccine Awareness Day (HVAD). Today, we celebrate the millions of volunteers, health professionals, scientists, advocates and community members who are fighting for a safe and effective vaccine for HIV. We also come together to acknowledge and raise awareness of the need for continued research and funding for this vaccine.

While there is currently no vaccine for HIV, there is always a need for increased education on how to protect yourself from contracting the virus. Today is a great opportunity to talk with loved ones and friends about the risks of HIV.

Click here to read about Tell Them’s stand on HIV and STIS.

Click here to download Tell Them’s HIV Fact Sheet.

To find a testing center near you, send a text message with your zip code to KNOWIT (566 948)

For more information on HVAD, visit the following websites:

• AIDS.gov: the gateway to all Federal domestic information on HIV/AIDS prevention, testing, treatment, research, policies and resources.
• NIAID’s HIV Vaccine Awareness Day web site: contains fact sheets, statistics, press releases, talking points, and media tools and allows you to view HVAD bilingual print ads and listen to bilingual radio spots.
• bethegeneration.nih.gov: an educational initiative supported by the Division of AIDS at NIAID, to help HIV affected communities and individuals become more aware, educated, and supportive of HIV vaccine research and have positive attitudes towards clinical trial volunteerism.
• http://www.hivtest.org/: To find an HIV testing location near you.

This week is National Women’s Health Week- a week of events that bring attention to how women can live longer, healthier lives.

The week is coordinated by the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health (OWH), and this year, has chosen to focus on the theme “It’s Your Time” in an effort to have women make their own health a priority.

The OWH suggests numerous steps to living a healthier lifestyle- some include:

• Regular visits to a health care professional for checkups and preventive screenings.
• Maintaining a nutritious diet.
• Getting a least 2 ½ hours of moderate physical activity, 1 ½ hours of vigorous physical activity, or both, each week.
• Pay attention to mental health, including getting enough sleep and managing stress.
• Avoid risky activities, such as smoking and not wearing a seatbelt.

Click here to read the Presidential Proclamation on National Women’s Health Week

Click here to read a statement from Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Women’s Health Week

Click here to read a statement from Surgeon General Dr. Regina M. Benjamin, on the Importance of Celebrating National Women’s Health Week and Empowering Women to Make Their Health a Top Priority

Read about D.I.V.A’s new Peer-to-Peer HIV Awareness Initiative

Teen pregnancy rates are higher among minority women in South Carolina compared than White young women. Teenage pregnancy rates have increased continuously from 1997 to 2007 among African Americans. South Carolina ranks 27 out of 47 states for African American teen birth rates, and 44 out of 47 for Latina birth rates.

These same racial disparities exist in terms of Sexually Transmitted Infections and HIV rates. Latina teens account for 15% of newly diagnosed HIV cases among women, while African Americans made up 61% in 2007. Latina teens make up 18% of youth ages 13-19, but account for 19% of AIDS cases in South Carolina? Or US?. At the same time, female African American teens are 68% of AIDS cases while only accounting for 15% of teens in the US.

These are just a few of the sobering statistics that demonstrate the work that needs to be done to ensure that preventive health care is available and access to all South Carolinians, regardless of age, race or ethnicity.  Voters must demand health policies that meet the real needs of our residents.

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