<strong>Hydeia Broadbent</strong> has been living with HIV her entire life, but as she told <strong>Black Enterprise</strong> yesterday <a href="http://www.blackenterprise.com/lifestyle/2010/11/30/hydeia-broadbent-living-with-aids-is-no-death-sentence/">that has not been a death sentence</a>. In fact, the 26-year-old AIDS activist has been a very vocal spokeswoman for awareness about the disease, which has reached epidemic proportions in the African American community. <a href="http://www.blackenterprise.com/lifestyle/2010/12/01/obamas-aids-advisor-on-the-frontline-for-a-cure/">Black people account for 50 percent of all new HIV diagnoses</a> in this country but only 12 percent of the U.S. population. Despite her work and increased public information about HIV/AIDS, Broadbent still encounters people who have outdated misconceptions about the disease. For this year’s World AIDS Day she sets the record straight. <em>—Tomika Anderson</em>
<strong>LOOKS CAN BE DECEIVING</strong> You can’t look at someone and tell they have HIV. Often there aren’t any physical symptoms. If you’re sexually active you should go get tested every six months. If you’re in a relationship with someone, go get tested together. If you can’t [get them to go with you] you shouldn’t be sleeping with him or her.
<strong>HIV/AIDS DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE</strong> A lot of young people still associate HIV/AIDS as a gay man’s disease. It’s not. It can affect anyone at any time. There is a lot of hype over “men on the down low” spreading this disease in our community but that’s not how most of our girls/women are becoming infected. They’re mostly being infected by heterosexual men who have more than one sex partner that we may or may not know about. The H in HIV stands for human, which means anyone is at risk if they don’t protect themselves from being infected.
<strong>MEDICINE HELPS BUT THERE IS STILL NO CURE</strong> AIDS may no longer be a death sentence because of <a href="http://www.blackenterprise.com/lifestyle/2010/12/01/obamas-aids-advisor-on-the-frontline-for-a-cure/">advancements in medicine</a> but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t protect yourselves. Among other things, it’s a very expensive disease to live with. You don’t just pay for the medicine—you pay to see a doctor and to get blood work done. And it’s not guaranteed your state or the federal government will pay for any of this because of widespread funding cuts. While people are living longer, 18,000 die each year due to complications with AIDS, according to the CDC.
<strong>REAL LIFE IS NOT LIKE A RAP VIDEO</strong> Young people trying to emulate the rapper/hip-hop lifestyle is really hurting us. Kids want to live these glorified experiences out in real life—sleeping with lots of people, getting high on drugs and spending time in jail—but we’re not talking about the consequences of these actions. Being clouded by drugs and alcohol impairs your judgment. Having multiple sex partners increases your risk for infection.
<strong>HIV/AIDS IS NOT THE END OF YOUR SOCIAL LIFE</strong> It is possible to have a relationship with someone who is infected. You just need to know what’s safe and how to protect yourself.
<strong>HAVING HEALTHY KIDS IS STILL AN OPTION</strong> You can also have children if you are HIV positive. There are ways to protect your unborn child from being born with the disease. Consult your doctor to find out more.
<strong>Be sure to check more of BE’s World AIDS Day coverage…</strong> <li><a href="http://www.blackenterprise.com/lifestyle/2010/12/01/obamas-aids-advisor-on-the-frontline-for-a-cure/"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Obama's AIDS Advisor on the Frontline For a Cure</span></strong></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.blackenterprise.com/lifestyle/2010/11/30/hydeia-broadbent-living-with-aids-is-no-death-sentence/"><strong>Hydeia Broadbent: “Living With AIDS is No Death Sentence” </strong></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.blackenterprise.com/lifestyle/2010/11/29/alicia-keys-spearheads-mass-social-media-boycott/"><strong>Alicia Keys Tweets Her Own Death For AIDS Awareness</strong></a></li>
You said aids can affect anyone at anytime, but that’s not true. You have to put yourself at risk by having unprotected sex with an infected person or share needles or get a blood transfusion with infected blood. It’s not like the common cold.
Keianna
Common Desire…you know what this young lady is saying, it can affect anyone at any age…of course you have to have unprotected sex to get this disease….Duuugggghhhhh! Anyway…I commend this young lady for educating others with up to date information about this deadly disease…
Karla
Desiree, you are wrong. You can be raped or molested and end up with HIV. You can also be born with it from an infected mother. You do not have to “put yourself at risk.” AIDS is not a moral judgment of those who are infected.
jawanna
Karla, Well put! I am HIV positive and waS VICTIM OF ABUSE! I am tired of all these people running around here like we r nasty drug addicts or some type of slut!! people need to realize you can get this Disease for loving someone!!
Montell
I agree. HIV/AIDS is not a moral judgement. HIV/AIDS is similar to cancer in the sense that smoking cigarettes immediately puts you at risk for cancer.I agree with Karla, being a victim of rape, molestation or the recipient of tainted blood, can all put you at risk of HIV/AIDS. People like Desiree should know what they are talking about before making incomplete and inaccurate comments!
![LOOKS CAN BE DECEIVING You can’t look at someone and tell they have HIV. Often there aren’t any physical symptoms. If you’re sexually active you should go get tested every six months. If you’re in a relationship with someone, go get tested together. If you can’t [get them to go with you] you shouldn’t be sleeping with him or her.](http://cdn2.blackenterprise.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2010/12/Sad-Black-man-gallery.jpg "Sad-Black-man-gallery")
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