nycHealthy

Dr. Monica Sweeney: Why Married Black Women Need to Get Tested

I’ve been married to the same man for more than three decades. Last month I got tested for HIV on live TV. Thankfully my test came back negative. Some of my friends ask me, “Why bother when you’re married?” I tell them: “I love and trust my husband, but I’m not with him 24/7.”

As much as we may love our boyfriends and husbands, there are no real guarantees of fidelity. If your partner has even one act of unprotected sex outside the relationship, there is a chance he could contract HIV and bring it home to you. Black women are particularly vulnerable. Fewer than 15% of American women are black yet we account for nearly 70% of all female HIV infections. Our infection rate is 20 times that of white women.

Dr. Monica Sweeney: National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

This morning I’ll attend the Black History Month celebration at Brooklyn’s High School for Public Service. As it happens, tomorrow (February 7th) is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. I’m glad to have a chance to talk to young people about this epidemic, but I’m afraid one day of awareness won’t do. Black New Yorkers now account for half of the city’s new infections, and new HIV diagnoses are rising among young black men who have sex with men. In a situation like this, we need to be aware of HIV every day of the year.

Dr. Monica Sweeney Commemorates World Aids Day

Last night I went uptown to attend the annual World AIDS Day commemoration that the Global HIV/AIDS Ministry holds at the Riverside Church. I was so humbled by all the amazing stories that were shared. It reminded me how proud I am to be a part of a community so dedicated to stopping the spread of HIV.

Today marks the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day, and although a lot has changed since 1988, much remains the same. New York City is still at the epicenter of the U.S. epidemic with more than 100,000 people living with HIV and AIDS, and nearly 3,000 new infections being diagnosed every year.