Hitting them where they live

Want free tickets for Beyonce? Alicia? Just take this HIV test . . .
Program focuses on high-risk groups like young blacks
Lynette Clemetson, New York Times
Sunday, March 14, 2004
©2004 San Francisco Chronicle

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. -- Nicole and Chalome Bergan had given up any hope of attending the hottest concert around, a show featuring Grammy winners Beyonce, Alicia Keys and Missy Elliott. But five hours before the concert began on Friday night, the sisters learned that they were getting in. Free.

All they had to do was brush a salty cotton swab around in their mouths and answer some very personal questions about sex.

The sisters were winners in a program called Rhythms for Health, which doles out concert tickets to fans willing to be tested for HIV. The testing, being conducted along with the Ladies First tour in 14 cities in the next month, is one of several programs nationwide that are taking HIV testing to places like amusement parks, church parking lots and neighborhood fairs to reach people who might not otherwise be tested.

"We're strongly encouraging people to think very creatively about outreach," said Dr. Robert Janssen, the director of the Divisions of HIV/AIDS Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "It's a real opportunity to get to people who may be at high risk and not know they are infected."

Organizers of the promotion believe that linking testing to the Ladies First concerts -- shows that are heavy on girl power and that draw young, predominantly black hip-hop fans -- is a sure way to reach a few major at- risk groups.

Though blacks make up only 12 percent of the U.S. population, they make up roughly 54 percent of all HIV/AIDS cases, a recent study by the disease centers showed. And blacks account for 72 percent of all HIV/AIDS cases among women. In a separate agency study of teenagers infected with AIDS, roughly 51 percent were black.

To reduce the numbers, the Black AIDS Institute, a national education organization and sponsor of Rhythms for Health, in the last year has offered HIV screening at Six Flags amusement park in Dallas and conducted HIV testing at the annual conventions of the National Urban League, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

Posted by Prometheus 6 on March 14, 2004 - 1:37pm :: News
 
Prometheus 6's blog | latest article | previous | next
 

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.

"Organizers of the promotion believe that linking testing to the Ladies First concerts -- shows that are heavy on girl power and that draw young, predominantly black hip-hop fans -- is a sure way to reach a few major at- risk groups."

What your community has to do is get rid of Rap music, concentrate on your high rate of single parent homes, get aggressive with your dead beats and de-emphasize the sexual prowess of the young black man and the ho mentality of the young black woman. Before you get bent out of shape, think! Janet Jackson, Lil Kim, R. Kelly, Snoop canine, etc., etc. Rap videos EMPHASIZE "gettin da money" with all the gold teeth, neck chains, fancy cars with gold plated rims(vain), women in bikinis and thongs strutting their asses(Ho's) in front of the so called musicians (rappers), wads of money being flashed(forget about education and work), all this is in your face, as if to say; ha, ha look at me with all the Ho's, cars, booze, clothes, bling, houses and all you have to do is act immoral, pretend you know how to sing, drink and get high, and FUCK as many Ho's as you can so you are looked as a "Playa". Does that sound like trouble? This is a major problem not only for your community, but has infiltrated the rest of society and we cannot say a word about because we'll be demonized as racists! By the way you also have black leaders defending rappers, go figure.

"Though blacks make up only 12 percent of the U.S. population, they make up roughly 54 percent of all HIV/AIDS cases, a recent study by the disease centers showed. And blacks account for 72 percent of all HIV/AIDS cases among women. In a separate agency study of teenagers infected with AIDS, roughly 51 percent were black."

Giving AIDs test at "the hottest concert around" is self defeating. What you're saying is; keep doing it, we'll test you and let you know if you have a problem so we can deal with it, hello, how about don't be stupid, don't listen to these idiots, get your education, establish an honest career (singer;great,but a classy one) and be an example. Tackle the desease not just the symptoms.

Posted by  Cletus (not verified) on March 14, 2004 - 6:23pm.

Giving AIDs test at "the hottest concert around" is self defeating. What you're saying is; keep doing it, we'll test you and let you know if you have a problem so we can deal with it

No that's not what they're saying. And it's certainly not what I say.

They don't give the test at the concert. And they teach while they have the kid's attention.

The other stuff (rap music, gold teeth) is another conversation. Truthfully, it's not my communikty that needs to get rid of rap music, it's yours. Take the white teenagers out of the market and watch how fast the recording industry abandons the entire market.

Rap videos EMPHASIZE "gettin da money"

And this differes from Mainstream America…how? A matter of style, is all. Not to mention the sheer scale of da money the mainstream is getting.

This is a major problem not only for your community, but has infiltrated the rest of society and we cannot say a word about because we'll be demonized as racists!

I feel your pain. I was once demonized as a racist because I capitalize "Black" when talking about Black folks.

But you know, you don't have to say a word about it. You have to deal with your youth. If you got issues with your youth wearing baggy pants, Black people are not the ones to correct them.

By the way you also have black leaders defending rappers, go figure.

Which rappers?

Posted by  P6 (not verified) on March 14, 2004 - 9:39pm.