Jackson Among Leaders Rallying for AIDS Awareness

February 12, 2007 -- The Reverend Jesse Jackson joined hundreds of health professionals Monday in Center City to tackle how to prevent the spread HIV and AIDS in the black community.

Reverend Jesse Jackson spoke in Center City with more than 5 hundred health care providers who work with people who have HIV and AIDS. They're at a national conference on African Americans and AIDS.

African Americans make up 13-percent of the U.S. population.

But according to a Kaiser Foundation study they represent 50-percent of the countries newly diagnosed HIV/AIDS cases. The rate of new AIDS cases among African Americans is 10 times higher than among whites.

The Reverend Jesse Jackson said, "There's a certain sadness because expanding HIV is preventable."

Conference organizers blame misinformation, drug abuse and cultural inhibitions that lead to "down low" or hidden male-to-male sexual activity by men who also have sex with women. Some of that behavior can reportedly be traced to overcrowded jails.

Another factor is simply risky sexual behavior.

"Clearly more loose behavior leads to more loose results. And what we're being fed through mass media is that sex without love is alright," said Jackson.

Conference organizers say the current case at Cheney University involving an HIV positive woman who reported having sex some men on the campus highlights the critical nature of the problem.

Phil Wilson of the Black AIDS Institute said, "This is an opportunity particularly on that campus for us to reach out to all of those students to say you have the ability and responsibility to protect yourself from HIV."

Experts believe increased testing can help curb the spread of HIV. Jackson is urging religious leaders and famous people to set an example by getting tested in front of their congregations and fans.

Conference organizers say AIDS prevention and research should be on the national agenda.

(Copyright 2007 by Action News and 6abc. All Rights Reserved.)

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