In This Issue
Today is National African American Hepatitis Action Day. As with HIV, African Americans are disproportionately impacted by hepatitis. There are an estimated 1.15 million Americans living with HIV, but there are about 5 million living with hepatitis. Unlike with HIV there is a cure for hepatitis. But you cannot get cured for hepatitis if you do not know your hepatitis status. We urge you to get tested for hepatitis, particularly hepatitis C. Hepatitis tests are often available in the same places as HIV tests. Over the next six months, the Black AIDS Institute is going to be providing a laser focus on what hepatitis means to Black people, providing you with the tools and information you need to find out your status, protect yourself, and if you're positive, get into treatment and be connected to the cure.
We have a chance to do remarkable work. We can make this an AIDS free generation and we can eradicate hepatitis. Let's make sure that Black people are not left behind once again.
In this issue we tell you about National African American Hepatitis Action Day. We report from the International AIDS Conference about HIV/hepatitis C co-infection. You will meet David Njabulo Whiters, a Black man who benefitted from the new cure for hepatitis C. And the CDC recently hosted a national summit on hepatitis C. We report.
Yours in the struggle,
Phill