Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas of the award-winning music group TLC will speak out about the devastating impact HIV/AIDS is having on the African American community, particularly women, on Feb. 7 -- National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness and Information Day.
"We have an obligation to ourselves and to our loved ones to be educated about this disease" said T-Boz Watkins
While African Americans make up just 12 percent of the population, they account for 64 percent of new HIV infections among women. The South has been particularly hard hit -- blacks account for 53 percent of HIV/AIDS cases in the region but make up just 19 percent of the overall population.
"If you don't learn about HIV and how to protect yourself, you are risking your life," said Chilli Thomas. "We can't sit back and think 'it won't be me' when so many of our sisters and brothers are infected every day. And those in our community who have HIV should come forward, because their denial and silence is part of the problem."
Spokespersons for Dialogues: Education and Treatment for a Well Planned Future -- a national education initiative to help patients get the facts about HIV and get involved in their own care -- Watkins and Thomas will speak at a Dialogues Health Fair and HIV Education and Screening event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Feb. 7, National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness and Information Day, at the Lifelong Learning Center on the Brentwood Campus, 13033 Landmark Street, in Houston.
Texas ranks fourth in the nation, behind New York, California and Florida, for the number of persons living with AIDS with more than 60,000 people infected; it is fourth in new infections.
"We've got to reverse this trend," said Rodney Goodie, executive director of the St. Hope Foundation, a Houston AIDS service organization. "Education is the only way to fight HIV/AIDS. Learn how to protect yourself, get tested regularly, and if you are positive, know your treatment options."
More than 25 Houston-based AIDS service and community organizations will participate in the National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness and Information Day Dialogues event. Free HIV screenings will be provided by the City of Houston. Local physicians and HIV experts will speak about preventing HIV, the rising incidence among African Americans and women, and treatment options.
The Dialogues Health Fair and HIV Education and Screening Event is sponsored by the St. Hope Foundation, and Dialogues, a program of Pfizer Inc.
Thomas and Watkins, together with Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, formed TLC, the best-selling female group in music history, selling more than 27 million albums and 9 million singles worldwide in less than a decade. The singers have witnessed firsthand the devastation of HIV/AIDS and have long advocated for safe sex through their music. One of their greatest hits, "Waterfalls," which is featured in their greatest hits album to be released in the U.S. in February, alludes to the dangers of HIV.
The St. Hope Foundation is a nonprofit organization that provides community-based medical care and social services to persons living with HIV/AIDS in and around Houston.
Dialogues delivers easy-to-understand HIV information on a range of key topics and quick reference materials like definitions of key medical terms and tips for managing side effects. The initiative was created by a panel of HIV experts and organizations including the American Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, the American Public Health Association and the National Association of AIDS Education and Training Centers, in collaboration with Pfizer.