The Conversation: What You Don't Know Can Hurt You - Community Town Hall Meeting, Saturday June 25, 1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Atlanta Is Greater Than AIDS: HIV began one person at a time and it will end one person at a time.

The National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc - Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter (NCBW-MAC) will host a community town hall meeting and offer free onsite HIV & STD testing in recognition of National HIV/AIDS Testing Day. The event, “The Conversation: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You,” will be held Saturday, June 25, 2011 at 1 p.m. at the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, Herndon Plaza, 100 Auburn Ave., Atlanta, Georgia.  

The Problem

            This forum will leverage the collective resources of leaders in the community by integrating a strong public health message on HIV/AIDS & STD awareness and prevention.  Through the collaborative sponsorship of NCBW-MAC, Atlanta Life Insurance Company, SisterLove, Inc., Georgia Department of Community Health and MLP Communications, this event will seek to unmask the truth on HIV/AIDS & STD’s in the Black Community through an empowering panel discussion with audience participation, free onsite testing and other resources.   The reality is that the rate of STDs is continuously higher in African Americans than any other race/ethnicity in the US. According to a recent report from the CDC, HIV prevalence rates among blacks or African Americans were approximately eight times the rate among whites. Georgia’s HIV/AIDS Reporting System (eHARS), reports that 78% of HIV (not-AIDS) cases diagnosed in 2008 were among African Americans, who make up only 30% of Georgia’s population. Even further, metro Atlanta has 64% of all AIDS cases in Georgia. We encourage event participants to share their voice and to take a stand - Atlanta is Greater Than AIDS.

The Solution

The town hall meeting will provide a forum for Atlanta locals to hear community leaders discuss the related issues, get answers to questions, and learn about options for prevention and protection. Topics covered will include prevention, treatment options, stigma, sexual health for families, the alarming rates of HIV/AIDS and STDs from diagnosis to deaths, healthy relationship dynamics and more. The event will offer real talk and practical solutions to the epidemic of HIV/AIDS and STDs.

           The panelists will include community leaders from various fields such as medical experts, HIV/AIDS activists, clergy, celebrities and relationship experts.  The town hall discussion and testing event will take place June 25, 2011; National HIV/AIDS Testing Day is June 27, 2011. June 2011 marks the 30th anniversary since the first cases of HIV were reported. This event supports national commemoration activities.