100 Black Women of Atlanta Holds Summit for Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

The nationwide observance of National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is held each March 10th to shed light on the disease that continues to target African-American women at alarming rates.

On Saturday, March 9, 2013 from 12:30 p.m. - 3:30p.m., Health Services will provide HIV Testing and sponsor a Workshop/Presentation at the Clark Atlanta University (CAU) Teen Summit that will be held in the Carl and Mary Ware Academic Building on the CAU campus.

The Summit is sponsored by the National Coalition of 100 Black Women of Atlanta.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2010, women and girls made up two-thirds of people who got the disease by having heterosexual sex.  Women of all ages can get HIV/AIDS through heterosexual contact or injection drug use and they account for approximately one-quarter of all HIV diagnoses. Today, women represent a larger share of new HIV infections than they did earlier in the epidemic, with nearly 280,000 women living with HIV/AIDS in the United States. Women of color are particularly affected, as they accounted for two-thirds (64 percent) of new AIDS diagnoses among women in 2010.

Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness encourages women and girls who are sexually active to take action to learn about HIV/AIDS and to take the necessary steps for prevention and protection. Getting tested has more benefits than not knowing if you have HIV or an STD.

Information about where to get tested can be found at www.fultoncountygahealth.org.