HEALTHY REASONING: Aids Is An Ongoing Problem

By Allan Bucka Jones
PRIDE Health Columnist

A little over 24 years ago, on November 7, 1991, basketball player, Los Angeles Lakers guard, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, held a press conference to reveal that he was HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) positive.

It was an announcement that raised the awareness of HIV/AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency virus), particularly the fact that it could be spread through heterosexual sex.

Today, Mr. Johnson is alive and active as a successful businessman. He is a testament to the fact that with the correct treatment, you can be HIV positive and lead a vibrant life.

HIV is primarily transmitted via unprotected sex, contaminated blood transfusions, hypodermic needles, and from mother to child, via pregnancy, during delivery or through breastfeeding.

Eighty percent of black people living with HIV in Ontario are heterosexual.  AIDS is caused by infection with HIV. A person may experience a brief period with flu-like symptoms, before a long period with no symptoms. HIV infection makes you susceptible to infections like tuberculosis and certain cancers. In the final stages of AIDS, lung infections and a type of cancer known as Kaposi’s sarcoma are common.

Tuesday, December 1 is World AIDS Day. It is a day for reflection on how our communities (both locally and globally) have responded to HIV and AIDS, and what we still must achieve. World AIDS Day is an opportunity for our community to stop and reflect on these realities and to get involved in the response to HIV and AIDS.

The day also commemorates those who have passed on and to raise awareness about AIDS and the global spread of the HIV virus. This day is important in Ontario because there are almost 8,000 Black people living with HIV and AIDS in the province. Black people in Canada are nine times more likely to have HIV than others.

The serious questions to be asked are: Why, despite the progress made in treating HIV/AIDS, it is spreading quickly in Toronto’s black communities? Why are black and Caribbean people today accounting for more than 20% of all new HIV infections in Toronto, when back in the early nineties, black and Caribbean people were only 10% of new HIV infections? Are we taking more sexual risks, like not wearing condoms? Do we feel that HIV / AIDS cannot be transmitted by females? Do we still think it is a gay disease? Are we guided by how someone looks to decide if they may be HIV positive? Is there adequate HIV / AIDS awareness in the black community? Is the information on safe sex and needle sharing, reaching the community?

The answers to these and other questions can be received from , your family doctor, a community health centre or Black CAP (the Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention). Black CAP’s mission is to reduce HIV/AIDS in Toronto’s Black, African and Caribbean communities, and enhance the quality of life of Black people living with or aff­ected by HIV/AIDS.  The organization founded in 1989 is guided by its motto, “Because All Black People’s Lives Are Important”, and it stands as a reminder of the importance of their commitment to the community. If you need any information related to AIDS, call Black Cap at 416-977-9955 or AIDS Committee of Durham, toll free at 1-877-361-8750. All calls and inquiries are confidential.

On Thursday, November 26^th between 6pm and 11pm, Black Cap is holding its annual Joyful Giving fundraiser at the exclusive Urban Space at 401 Richmond Street West in Toronto.

This year’s Joyful Giving is sponsored by TD Bank and will feature entertainment from singer Coco Brown and other local artists. Black CAP is also holding an art auction with works of art by renowned artists. This event funds Black CAP’s work with a number of vulnerable populations in our African, Caribbean and Black communities who are living with HIV. Please support the event. Call 416-977-9955 for tickets.

To date, there are an estimated 35.3 million people living with HIV. Between 1981 and 2012, AIDS killed 36 million people worldwide.

A simple blood test can reveal your HIV status. Talk to your family doctor if you are interested in doing the AIDS test. Let us be relentless to minimize or eliminate the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Allan Bucka Jones is a Health Promoter and Broadcaster. You can contact Allan Bucka Jones at allan@jonesandjones.ca.