HEALTH AND WELLNESS… “KNOW YOUR HIV STATUS!”
On Wed., Oct. 26, 2022, the Community Health Center of Buffalo, Inc., is hosting a lunch and learn entitled “Know Your Status!.” The purpose of the session is to encourage people in high-risk relationships, especially men who have sex with men, to get tested for HIV.
The importance of knowing your status is early detection! This notion that HIV is extinct or you can’t catch it anymore is pure fiction. The fact is, it is still very present in Black and Brown communities throughout Buffalo and Erie County at higher rates than in White communities. HIV is hiding in plain sight because we have become desensitized to its danger. Black men and women face a higher risk of exposure because the disease is more prevalent in communities of color than in any other racial group. Erie County Health Department stats from 2020 reveal 63% of new cases in Erie County were non-Hispanic Black residents, the majority of whom lived in the city of Buffalo, vs. 28% of non-Hispanic whites across Erie County. Recent trends show new HIV cases in Erie County are still among the highest in the entire state of New York outside of New York City.
The best medicine for HIV is early detection and prevention. Years ago, living a quality life with HIV was not easy. Today, treatment has evolved, and we have access to medicines that reduce body virus transmission levels and the chance of passing HIV to others (i.e., ART Therapy – AntiRetroviral Therapy). Know Your Status” will have representatives from Gilead to talk about PrEP, Roswell Park Colorectal Cancer Unit, Blood pressure screenings, Covid testing, and flu shots will also be available from the Community Health Center of Buffalo, Inc.
For more information, contact Karla Thomas at [email protected] or Nisrine Harfouche at [email protected].
