March 9, 2013 (919) 533-9677
One quarter of new HIV infections in North Carolina are among women, something that advocate Alicia Diggs is encouraging Greensboro residents to talk about on March 10, National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.
Diggs,
a mother who is completing a master’s degree in public health education, speaks
widely about her experiences living with HIV. She says she’s motivated by the
need for education, testing and support for women living with HIV or at risk of
acquiring the virus.
“Women
and girls need to be encouraged, especially those who have a history of falling
down and getting back up,” Diggs said. “We
need to empower them so that they can say ‘I am awesome. I can do this.’ So
that they can make the right decision and know that they are loved.”
Diggs
is also the founder and director of I Will Live, which connects survivors of
chronic illness, abuse, suicide, violence, and other traumas.
She
says the decision to speak up about her status wasn’t easy.
“In
the beginning, I was terrified,” she said. “You don’t know what people are
going to say. But there’s a time in your life when you get tired of being
scared. You hold your breath, and then you let go. And you find people who
support you.
The
theme for National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is “Share knowledge.
Take action.” That’s what Diggs challenges others to join her in doing. “Though
you may speak to one person or a thousand people, you can make a difference,”
she says.
The
HIV epidemic in North Carolina hits some communities especially hard.
Black
women accounted for 85 percent of all HIV cases diagnosed among women in North
Carolina in 2010, making them 17 times more likely to acquire the virus than
white women. Latino women were five times more likely to acquire the virus than
white women.
Claire
Hermann, Communications Coordinator at the North Carolina AIDS Action Network, says
these inequalities can be addressed. “HIV is a justice issue,” she said.
“Research
and medicine have progressed to the point that we can reduce transmission rates
dramatically and allow people living with HIV to lead relatively healthy lives.”
“What
we need now are policies that protect the rights of women and increase
equitable access to information, testing, healthcare, and support.”
Diggs
says she’ll keep speaking out. “It’s about saving lives,” she said. “We’re
doing that.”
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Related: North Carolina advocate Stephanie Brown joins Alicia Keys in spreading awareness on National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.
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