GET EDUCATED. GET TESTED. GET INVOLVED. GET TREATED.

Favorite Quote
"Let the choices you make today be choices you can live with tomorrow."

It's imperative that you know your status and GET TESTED TODAY!!

The message is clear. . .

GET EDUCATED, GET TESTED, GET INVOLVED, GET TREATED!!!!!

While African Americans represent approximately 13 percent of the U.S. population, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the group accounts for almost half (49%) of the nation’s AIDS cases. According to the National Center for Health Statistics 2006 Report, HIV/AIDS is one of the top 10 leading causes of death for African Americans; and in the same year African Americans accounted for more than half (54 percent) of estimated new HIV infections in the United States.

If you are, or know some teens that are sexually active, you may want to check out this article. It sheds new light on why people tend to take chances, when they know the consequences of their high risk sexual behavior. According to Valerie F. Reyna of Cornell University:

Social acceptance and the allure of rebellion right now outweigh the costs later. (Even adults, not to mention financiers, prefer immediate benefits to future ones.) Teaching teens to assess risks accurately won't decrease stupid behavior -- they're already pretty accurate at gauging the consequences. They just aren't much bothered by them. No wonder 3 million new cases of STDs are diagnosed in U.S. adolescents each year.

Check out the article in its entirety at the Post-Gazette.com.

Apple is contributing $10 of each purchase to the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa. Its a nice color, and of course its an iPod; more than enough for a conversation starter in any environment. Check out more (PRODUCT) RED™ at www.joinred.com.

In general, self-described heterosexuals, whether they had sex with men or not, had fewer sexual partners than men who said they were homosexual. However, self-described straight men who had sex with other men were less likely than gay men to have had an HIV test recently or to use condoms.

All the more reason to be more inquisitive about your partners sexual history. If you are, or plan on having sex with someone, its imperative that you know their sexual history. If that's still not enough for you, get tested together!

The most frequently cited reason for not getting tested among those who have never had an HIV test is not feeling at risk (61%). Smaller shares of those who have never been tested cite the following reasons: their doctor never recommended it (21%), they worry about confidentiality (13%), they don’t know where to get tested (10%), they don’t like needles or giving blood (8%), and they’re afraid they’ll test positive (3%).