Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
Hosts First HIV/AIDS Summit
Of all racial and ethnic groups in the United States, HIV and AIDS have hit African Americans the hardest. The reasons are not directly related to race or ethnicity, but rather to some of the barriers faced by many African Americans. These barriers can include poverty (being poor), sexually transmitted diseases, and stigma (negative attitudes, beliefs, and actions directed at people living with HIV/AIDS or directed at people who do things that might put them at risk for HIV).

The men of the Eta Mu Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi will be hosting an HIV/AIDS Summit today (4/10/2007) at 6 p.m. in the Wallace Hall Auditorium. Several authorities on the topic have been invited to discuss the drastic increase of HIV/AIDS in the African American Community. This is an opportunity for students, faculty, and staff to gain more information on the topic through open dialogue with panelists and fellow attendees.

When we look at HIV/AIDS by race and ethnicity, we see that African Americans have:

• More illness. Even though African Americans account for about 13% of the US population, they account for about half (49%) of the people who get HIV and AIDS.
  
  
• Shorter survival times. African Americans with AIDS often don’t live as long as people of other races and ethnic groups with AIDS. This is due to the barriers mentioned above.
  
  
• More deaths. For African Americans, HIV/AIDS is a leading cause of death.

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