National Women and Girls Awareness Day

“Every 47 minutes, a woman tests positive for HIV in the United States.”

Every March 10th, the Office of Women’s Health launches the National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NWGHAAD).  While men have the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in the United States, the NWGHAAD observance encourages everyone to take action in the fight against HIV/AIDS and raises awareness about the impact on women and girls. 

Photo Credit: The guardian

Baltimore is a "hot spot"

According to today's front page Baltimore Sun article, "African-American women in Baltimore and five other U.S. cities are becoming infected with HIV at a rate five times the national average for black women." Patrice Henry, an HIV positive patient advocate at Johns Hopkins, advises that “we as women need to look after ourselves. We need to take a step and get tested, and if we’re involved in a relationship we need to ask that person if he’s been tested.” In Baltimore, the rate of infection is 24 per 10,000 black women, which is close to the rates in some African countries like the Congo where the rate is 28 per 10,000 women.

Here at Moveable Feast, we witness the effects of these HIV/AIDS rates in our community, and we respond to the need by delivering nutritious meals and counseling to our clients, almost half of whom are women.

The National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day website provides numerous events going on nationwide. Here is an event to start with in Baltimore:

• 3/10/12 -  The NAACP is hosting a public lunch and panel discussion at Coppin State University | 10:30-1:00pm

If you can’t make it, the website also provides you with online events. We hope you partake in these educative, fun, informative, and FREE events.

Know your status!