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AIDS epidemic in black America as severe as in parts of Africa
About half of the just over 1 million Americans living with HIV or AIDS are black
AIDS leading cause of death among black women between ages 25 and 34
In Washington, more than 80 percent of HIV cases are among black people

www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/07/2 ... topstories
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080729/us_ ... _blacks_dc

I just finished reading this article on CNN.com and wanted to share, there is simply not enough discussion about this growing issue. If you care to read click the link above.

I saw that on CNN today also. Thanks for bringing that to our attention.

So, where do we go from here?

I believe the disease has progress so well in the black community because of SILENCE no one wants to talk about AIDS. Individuals who live with Aids keep it secret because fear of rejection or shame. My aunt and older cousin passed away from HIV. No one was aware until their last days, I felt shock, confused, and angry. Especially toward my aunt she practice law for 25 years before her death, I thought imagine how many lives she possibly could have saved by speaking out to young women and men. She lived healthy for years god had favor on her she was never really sick until her death, and at her funeral my family lied to everyone saying she died from cancer. She contracted it from her husband whom she was married to for 18 years. He had been living a down low lifestyle in his 20's god had heal him but he fell back into it in his late 30's. He told my mother just one encounter cost his wife her life and his life. I would say lets talk about ACCEPTANCE if you know anyone with the disease or encounter anyone with the disease and lots of love. I feel the real problem in the black community is the non acceptance of gays especially men, that's why a large number of black males keep their lifestyles secret in the black community, portraying to be heterosexual. We can begin by practicing understanding, and acceptance in our community.

I'm sorry about the passing of your family members especially your aunt. Being a black, woman from a poverty stricken area I can tell you my view on this: Black Americans are some of the most dysfunctional people ever placed on this earth. We boast and brag about things that we should keep to ourselves and we hide deadly secrets that could possible help others. We hardly want to help our family member, but will break our neck to help someone else...and don't let the someone else be someone of a different race then we want "brownie points." This is what makes me upset about A.I.D.S...it's 2008 not 1988!!! Who are you having sex with that first off you're not married to or haven't went to a clinic to get tested with. Personally, I'm not having sex with anyone unless I'm married. The Lord has spared my life on countless occasions for me to go back out there and take some risk. If I feel that "horny" that I just have to have it then guess what I'll masturbate and ask the Lord to forgive me and keep on moving. I'm so disappointed in your uncle for what he did to your aunt. he should have been honest with her and said he wanted to mess with men again before he went out and did it and I know for a fact that condoms have been out since the 70's...what was his problem??? AIDS is a stupid disease and is preventable unless U've been raped or born with it. I guess people feel as long as they can get some drugs to make them feel better than it's ok or there are so many people with AIDS that the disease isn't that bad. Come on people (especially black people) get educated on these things, get professional counseling, stop sweeping all your problems under the rug. Set better examples for the youths...stop having sex if you aren't married...if you are gay then get counseling and please don't have sex with anyone. Like I said before, I took a couple of risk in my "party days" yet and still I've been educated on HIV and AIDS since the fourth grade...sometimes and I repeat sometimes I think these statistics are made up just to make black people look worst that what they already are or so black folks can continue to be careless looking at the statistics and thinking "well at least I'm not alone"

Season, I'm so sorry your family has gone through so much devastation. I know someone who contracted the disease and died because of a blood transfusion when she was in a car accident. It’s so difficult to wrap our minds around, I know.

AIDS is such a "silent" killer and that's the worse part. But not silent in the sense that people don't know it's a killer - just like other issues in life - the decisions you make when no one is watching, when you’re all alone by yourself are what lead you down a certain path. In your aunt's case it was someone else's choice to do this, someone she was in a covenant marriage with. And since we’re on a Christian bulletin board I think this also stands for masturbation as Keisha mentioned above I don’t think offering someone the “just ask God to forgive you afterwards” route is a safe one.. I personally think masturbation is a gateway drug – it brings on shame and condemnation, causing one to place a barrier between them and God. It can bring on a hardened heart, and can eventually just become a band-aid rather than true repentance. In Romans 1 it talks about God giving man over to the lusts of the flesh.

24 God delivered them to sexual impurity as they followed the lusts of their hearts and dishonored their bodies with one another.
28 Furthermore, because they did not think it worthwhile to keep knowing God fully, God delivered them to degraded minds to perform acts that should not be done.

Keisha, I hear the passion in your words, but I don't agree that black americans are the most "dysfunctional." Every race has it's own set of issues and topics people try to sweep under the rug. AIDS is such a hot bed discussion that we must be careful to look at the truth and not allow our own prejudices and hurts to cloud how we see people - regardless of if it's your race or not. Especially as a Christian - we are trying to unify the body - not make it even more crippled by bringing one another down.

And let’s remember... not all AIDS patients are infected from their sexual escapades or from intravenous drug usage...

Keisha's view=dysfunctional black people especially the so-called Christian ones. If U don't think like them then U must be wrong...

Keisha thanks for responding, I do believe our race do have plenty of issues, a harsh reality but very true, this topic is under the perfect topic PRAYER, Dnes you appear to be hard on Keishia, she did not say masturbation is the right thing to do or that it is something she has done, she use the word. There has to be something else going on maybe you two can have a conversation off the forum.

Yah guys, I think we got off topic a little here. This is the 'prayer request' forum, so we should probably keep it to prayer requests. The General Discussion forum would be great for this talk we're having now.

And side note - I don't get that (something going on) when I read the comments Season. I agree that black people are some of the most dysfunctional ever on earth... but so are white people, asians, hispanics, Africans, and Eskimos. We've all got our junk. Granted, since we're on an AIDS post, black people's junk is a little more noticeable than other races who do a great job of hiding theirs. And the whole "masturbation" thing... of course we're not saying that it's the right thing to do... but the approach of "I'll masturbate and ask the Lord to forgive me and keep moving." Action right, heart wrong. Paul writes really clearly that grace doesn't give us the license to sin. And that statement from Keisha just came off really, "no biggy. I'll just masturbate and then ask forgiveness"... my get out of jail free card. If I'm angry I'll just kill someone and ask for forgiveness (obviously a stretch but saying the same thing). Yes, if you fall to your weakness & masturbate then ask for forgiveness & keep moving. But you can't, with good conscience, commit a sin knowing you'll just ask for forgiveness after. I think that's where Dede's coming from. I think some of this is just that we're "talking" with letters on a computer instead of with words 1-on-1 where you can ask questions much more effectively. But hey, this is an online forum, so it is what it is!

So, hey, we all love each other. Let's just talk on the General Discussion.

Shut up Johnson!!!

Ok the only reason I said something else must be going on is because no one responded to this post until Keisha did, and it appear it was only to go tic for tac with her. It is obvious that something is troubling her by some of the statements posted but instead of someone taking timeout to email, call her, or meet with her in person to actually see what is going on with her it appeared she was being aired out on the forum. It is like we are all sitting back watching a train wreck no intervention at all. I'm also aware that other races do have issues but I'm black American so my immediate concern is for my own race because that is my environment around me, my family, my friends and what I am every day that God grants me. This topic was originally about Aids in black community and it deserves to be in the prayer topics, it is not general to me. All that has came to light I'm 100 positive it is where it need to be, and I hope all of us take time out to pray for everyone in this discussion instead gossiping and spectating.

Hey Season, the reason I recommended we move the discussion to the "General Discussion" is because that's what it's for. It's for general discussion, with the focus on discussion. This section of the site is for prayer requests, with the focus on requests (what this thread started out as).

I'm not disregarding what you typed up. I think it's really valid and definitely deserves much prayer and discussion. And I think the prayer request part of it should definitely be here & people who "get stuff" in prayer for this should definitely comment here.

But this discussion (that followed the prayer request) would fit a lot better on the "General Discussion" section. I just don't think this will get the views and comments deserved if it's buried in the prayer requests section.

Comment from user:KeishaCrenshaw has been removed