Five-day tour hopes to raise awareness and help end the spread of the disease.
The Georgia Department of Health teamed up with the Black AIDS Institute Monday to kick off a five-day “Greater Than AIDS” HIV testing tour, which is set to hit five HBCUs in the state before it wraps Friday.
Savannah State University was the tour’s first stop yesterday; students at the school were able to get free testing along with pamphlets with information on the illness. The school hopes to complete 300 tests by the end of the week, local TV station WSAV TV reports.
Other stops include Albany State University in Albany, Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, Paine College in Augusta and Morehouse College in Atlanta. In addition to testing, students at some locations will be treated to appearances from Atlanta rapper and beat boxer D.R.E.S. the BEATnik and poet Chauncey Beaty.
The HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to disproportionately affect African-Americans, with Blacks making up half of those infected with the disease, according to the most recent stats. Among young people the disparity persists, with African-Americans accounting for 55 percent of all HIV infections among ages 13 to 24.
"We are at an important juncture in the trajectory of the AIDS epidemic in Black communities," Phill Wilson, president and CEO of the Black AIDS Institute, said in a statement.
(Photo: RODGER BOSCH/AFP/Getty Images)
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