Lowcountry Healthcare Officials brings attention to National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness

NORTH CHARLESTON S.C. (WCBD)–Today is National Black HIV/ Aids Awareness Day, and healthcare officials in the Lowcountry are working to increase education and awareness about the disease.

According to South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control, only 26% of the state’s population is African American, but 62% of people living with HIV and aids are African American. The disease disproportionately impacts the black community, and officials say getting tested plays a significant role in both stopping the spread and managing the illness for those who are diagnosed.

Organizations like Palmetto Community Care are offering free HIV screenings as well as free testing for sexually transmitted diseases, hoping to end the stigma around testing and empower people through education.

“Statistically, people who have contracted gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis are at a higher risk factor for attracting HIV, so it’s okay to live your best life. No one’s going to judge you. It’s fine to live your best life, but the importance is to come and get tested and know your status, so you don’t spread the disease or viruses to anyone else,” said Hercules Brown, a prevention program manager at Palmetto Community Care.

The free testing will be from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Palmetto Community Care Center in North Charleston.