Jesse Jackson Urges Awareness in Fight Against HIV/AIDS

The HIV/AIDS epidemic among African Americans "is one of the great moral and medical challenges of our time," the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson said Monday in his plenary address at the 2007 National Conference on African-Americans and AIDS. "So many people are dying from it. None of us will be safe until we are all safe."

Fighting the epidemic requires early detection, appropriate treatment, and modifying one's behavior and lifestyle, Jackson said. "The first step is to overcome fear" he said, and the second step is to get tested.

The two-day meeting, held at the Sheraton Philadelphia City Center, wraps up today. Topics have included: "Epidemiology of HIV;" "HIV/AIDS Policy;" "Clinical Management of HIV Infection;" "Men, Women and STDs;" and "Substance Use, Addiction, Treatment and Research."

Many prominent medical experts and activists at the conference called for greater awareness of the disease. "Look at the disproportionate impact of AIDS" in the black community, said Phill Wilson, founder of the Black AIDS Institute. "Each of us needs to do our part getting tested, proper treatment, and support so people can live a long, full life," the 26-year HIV survivor said.

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