I say this to ask where are all of the sustained, visible efforts, particularly in communities of color to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS, a truly preventable disease? I know about the clinics and organizations who help those who are already infected, but what about prevention?

We live in a culture that seems to want to solve problems instead of preventing them in the first place. Why? Well, that is where the money is. Think about it: the diet industry in this country makes billions of dollars each year. People, particularly women, shell out dollar after dollar hoping to loose weight. But wouldn’t it make sense if a) people were taught how to eat properly, and b) were also taught coping skills to deal with stress, pain, fear and anxiety beginning at an early age so that they don’t use food as an escape? BAM, obesity problem solved!

The same goes for HIV/AIDS.

Let’s take a trip in the back in the day machine. Picture this: it was 1984 and a young girl is standing in front of her 6th grade science class reading her report on HIV/AIDS to her class. She has to use a lot of words that deal with sex, such as penis, semen, vagina, anal, etc. To her dismay, there are audible chuckles and she gets a tad bit angry and says “You all need to listen, because in 20 years either you or someone you know will get this disease!” They continue to laugh, but she manages to get through the rest of her report and is rewarded with an A.

Twenty-five years after I gave that report in Mr. Mellus’ science class, I, sadly, am writing that HIV/AIDS is ravaging communities of color. I don’t really care that the disease is more manageable with drugs. The point it, we shouldn’t be seeing the disease at the rate we do.

You see, HIV/AIDS is big business for pharmaceutical companies, so while I rarely, if ever, see public service announcements for condoms and spermicide in my community, I see ads on bus stop shelters that letting you know that “AIDS doesn’t have to be a death sentence”. Well, no it doesn’t. In fact, it could be diminished, or even eradicated if the right measures are taken.

What are the right measures?

Education. It’s amazing how there is no mandatory comprehensive sexual education across the board in the US. Seriously, what’s the problem? Sex education should be made a priority in all schools that receive government funding. Period. Instead, kids are getting drips and drabs of information from their peers, or, if they are lucky to participate in some sort of after school or out of school time program, they may get it there.

There is, of course, that vocal contingent that says it should be left up to the parents to educate their children. That would be wonderful. I wish all parents were like my mom in the sense that she noted my entrance into puberty pre-menarche and used anatomically correct dolls to break down the rudimentaries of sex and gave me books which were followed up by discussion (though I am still a bit scarred by the doll thing), but let’s face it, that perpspective is coming from a place of privlege.

We live in a culture that fosters shame, particularly in girls and women, surrounding their bodies. Parents are people too and many of them are either too uncomfortable or ill equipped to have the conversation in the first place.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 64% of women with HIV/AIDS are black. C’mon people, do we need any more of a wake up call? Instead of letting pharmaceutical companies get rich off of retroantivirals, there needs to be a groundswell, a movement to educate communities about how not to contract it in the first place.

I am committed to getting something started, are you?