What will it take to get Black women to zero?

We need to end the "conspiracy of silence" and address the reality that women of African descent worldwide are disproportionately affected by un/undertreated mental illnesses (depression, bipolar disorder, etc.), low self-esteem/self-worth, sexual assault/abuse, poverty, lack of access to/inability to afford health care, domestic violence, and other societal problems that increase the likelihood of contracting this deadly disease.

Thank you to everyone who participated in our World AIDS Day blogger discussion. We appreciate your comments and support. Thank you especially to our Bloggers Whitney, Luvvie, Nicole, Arielle and Janesia for taking the time to share your thoughts and comments on others. Remember, your health matters and together, we can get to zero.

I agree with Deuce. Where is the fire in your president's message. It is time to get dirty. Black women are at war. This is a heavyweight fight not for lightweights. Get mad Ms. Hoytt. Still love and appreciate the work you are doing. Just get some fire. Let's protest. March. Takeover. Get noticed. Shout. Yell. Fight. Rise.

Why does the conversation have to end at 9 pm. That's the problem. We cannot continue to talk about this one day. We need to talk everyday. BTW I wake up and can't wait to see what you are putting on Twitter. Keep up the great work! Glad to see you at Education's CFC event. Your shower card is so wonderful. I took so many and handled them out to as many as I could. What's the next discussion going to be about? Can you make this a weekly event?

Faith. Prayer. Spirit. Love. Respect. Favor.

Imperative can you get all the male rappers who make sex laced music do a PSA? Then you would get all the support you need. Reach out to Drake, Kanye, JayZ, Rick Ross and Lil Wanye. Also on Dec. 1 can you get urban radio to cease plaing sex laced music. Believe it or not, that type of music exist. Create a coalition of black women orgs and stage a cease and desist against radio on Dec. 1. Radio stations today were off the hook. One second a PSA about World AIDS day the next second lay down and shake your ass. wow. President Hoytt your message is too safe that's why no one knows you. Step over the edge and make some noise. Why is your message Ms. Press so weak? Step over the edge and get a little dirty or when I ask women if they know your org. They will continue to say no. No harm, but your message says like you think too much. Where is the passion, the much needed "real" language? Get dirty Pres.

Tiffany, you are so right. What is treasured? Using your body to get what you want? Where's the self love? Your body is God's gift to you. It is wonderful to have a great in shape and healthy body but it is not a gift to men. It is a gift to you from God. How do we implant self esteem in our women when the media is beating them down, their mothers and fathers are beating them down, their teachers are beating them down and other women older women are besting them down. I was a straight A student in school but my grandmother only commented on my big butt and fat thighs. I had no self esteem so when the first guy came along and called me pretty, I gave him my body and got an STD. Women why are we so hard on each other. I love me so much now but it was a process and the love of my best friend's mother. Also I agree that we need to support the Imperative. They are doing excellent work but are probably sinking like every other small nonprofit. Damn, we support Kim Kardashian, Beyonce, Atlanta Housewives but not an organization fighting for us. It's about the cause y'all...let's give as much as we can to them before the end if the year. Because we don't support each other that's why every one laughs at us. 1 trillion in purchasing power...really? The Imperative should be mentioned along the heart association, Sierra club, humane society and the united way. Black power...let's get it together.

The prevention messages have to get more play than just on World AIDS Day. The messages were strong today...I got tested. What I saw today, read on your Web site scared me enough to go get tested. Sometimes the message has to implant fear because it is scary. Negative!! Oh and I agree, donate to BWHI...check out their Web site EXCELLENT!!!!

Listen to your voice...if something does not feel right, it isn't. Have the courage to resist, ask, and walk away. Three minutes, 30 minutes or even three hours of pleasure isn't worth a lifetime of being infected with a incurable disease. Believe...even if it is manageable, you don't want it.

Abstinence!

Self love. self esteem. Self respect. There is too many forces trying to break the Black woman down - from inside our race to the inside. Let's build love among each other.

Adding onto Tiffany's comment about the fact that sex isn't treasured enough- mothers (and fathers) should make an effort to have candid and REAL conversations about sex. Share your experiences and how important AIDS awareness is. It will not only educate them, but bring you closer as well!

What we need to get Black women to zero is to support the Black Women's Health Imperative financially. Make a donation this year and for many, many more years to come - http://www.blackwomenshealth.org/donate-now/inside-donate-now/. How many of you have donated? Not many I bet. We can get our hair done. By fatty food at posh restaurants. Get our nails bag. Buy a $1,000+ bag from LV that we can't afford. But, we can't support our health and wellness. Make sense to you? Not me! Your hair, nails, food and handbags won't mean a thing without good help. So, support this worthwhile organization with a donation today. Let's take to our Twitter and Facebook and ask our family and friends to do the same thing.

Prioritize ALL health needs of Black women!

Reducing stigma around testing,treatment & living w/HIV

When it comes to sexual health, I think there's been a strong emphasis on scare tactics and STD prevention without complementary teachings on sexuality in general. What I believe we're seeing in terms of black women's HIV rates, is a manifestation of not simply miseducation about safe sex, but also about how to express themselves sexually and honor their bodies. I believe we'll get to zero, if we stop shaming women about their sexuality and encouraging suppression. The more open we are about sex, sensuality, and expression, the more education we can spread about HIV and its impact upon our communities.

Youth! and our commitment to them. Empowering girls & boys.

We need more culturally relevant prevention methods-problems are systemic-poverty, access, incarceration, drug abuse, etc.

It's encouraging to think that we could witness an AIDS Free Generation during our lifetime.

Self love.no high-risk behaviors.be truthful.educate w/o hate.know your status & partners'.getting to zero starts with you

We can get to zero once the Black community realize that "sex" is a natural, biological act. Even if one wants to bring religion in it..the entire book of Genesis mention these words repeatedly "Enter...fruitful..plant seeds...", a lot of sex going on. In the Black community, sex could be seen as "don't do before marriage", "just nasty"..blah blah blah, when ultimately it is a wonderful experience, passion, intense connection...how new life is created in which some consider a "blessing". Talk about sex first...as Beth said, lets start with the youth of today and then continue the conversation about contraception, HIV/AIDS testing, HPV..STDs..you may want to include their primary physician as well, if that will help with the conversation.

Being selective who they lay with. Demand a test from the men they date.

Youth! And our commitment to them. Empowering girls and boys to know the risks & facts, have access to options and protections, and practice skills on how to speak up with intimate partners about safe practices.

Learn as much as you can about HIV & its impact on Black women & steps you can take to protect yourself - www.ElevateConversation.ORG. Let's Elevate the Conversation!

@French, your comment about couples making annual testing a priority is great advice. It is a great way to show your love for one another.

People in relationships should make getting tested an annual event. We also need to have conversations with family member, friends and partners about what would happen if "I" tested positive. Perhaps those "what-if" conversations would help us get pass the stigma. Your opinion of people with HIV often changing when someone you love could be at risk or infected. Put the person face who you most love on the face of an infected individual - then decide what would you do...the answer I hope would be love, care and embrace that person.

To get to zero, we need to start educating young women at an earlier age. Today, girls start having sex at a younger age and are more impressionable. And they need to be educated by older women- people they can look up to and seek advice from.

Celibacy IS power, Sistas!

As national, state and local organizations work diligently to provide the needed HIV education, testing, treatment, support and prevention services, the Black Women's Health Imperative will continue to fight to ensure Black women are a priority population within these efforts, calling for more gender- and culturally specific programs and services for Black women.

For the first time in the 30-year history of the epidemic in this country, we have reason to believe that we may be on a path of achieving a critical milestone an "AIDS-free generation." Achieving this goal to have a generation free of AIDS is a bold step yet attainable thanks to the creation of the first-ever National HIV/AIDS Strategy, life-saving antiretroviral drug regimens for HIV-positive persons, along with treatment regimens and infant feeding guidelines for pregnant women that can reduce risk of transmission by as much as 96%, and advances achieved with the establishment of testing in the essential preventive health benefits for women included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

It is begins first with acknowledging and honoring how sacred, beautiful and valuable our minds, bodies and spirits are and creating more spaces where we can celebrate our self love and support our communities in loving and healing .

"Getting to Zero" will take a united effort on all our parts, starting with decreasing the stigma surrounding the disease. We've got to learn to speak candidly about the issues and our health. With less stigma, we can encourage those around us to do the same. Of great importance is testing. HIV doesn't always give warning signs, and testing is truly the only way to know our status. Ignorance isn't bliss and knowing could be the difference between life and death. 20% of people with HIV (in the U.S. and around the world) don't know it. Without this knowledge, not only are people infecting others, but the disease is getting a chance to ravage their bodies without intervention. Medical care for those infected makes a world of difference. Thanks to advancement in technology and medicine, people are living longer and fuller lives with the disease. HIV is no longer a death sentence. However, "getting to zero" will really take prevention and education. The goal is to no longer have new people infected with the virus, either through sex, intravenous drug use or through mother-child transmission. We have to make sure we're educated about HIV/AIDS because it is the most deadly disease in the world that isn't contagious, malaria OR cancer. But it?s 100% preventable so we can stop it. We have to make more responsible decisions with our bodies. This means talking openly with our partners, using condoms and practicing safe sex and using clean needles.

I definitely agree with Tiffany. We have to work on building self-love and esteem in our young ladies. I have heard it first hand. Some young ladies are using sex as a means of "survival" (housing, transportation, food, etc.) The last thing on their minds is possible contracting HIV. I am with Tiffany that we need to develop innovative ways to build self-love and esteem among young and older Black women.

Ms. Coliy Embrace: I'm a member of New Psalmist Baptist Church in Baltimore, Maryland, and my church supports people infected with HIV/AIDS. We have a support group dedicated to assisting people with the virus. On top of that, I have never heard Bishop Walter Scott Thomas EVER refer to the infection as a punishment from God. I do agree that the Black Church needs to do more preaching about what the Bible says about sex and stop tailoring its message to fit what is having in the world. I recently heard Rev. Dr. Jamal Bryant of Empowerment Temple in Baltimore, Maryland on the radio talking about sex and how we should distribute condoms to our youth. No, we should be teaching abstinence - and maybe some of these statistics would decrease. We are getting away from God's teachings...that's the REAL problem.

We are still contracting HIV/AIDS because we think that it can not happen to us. Some do not realize that HIV/AIDS does not discriminate. It doesn't matter your age, your race, your status in society, or gender. We have to understand that this disease it related to our risky behaviors, whether that be sexual or drug related. I personally think that more people infected with HIV with diverse backgrounds need to come out and speak. The more we see what HIV looks like, I think that will increase the likelihood of realizing that this disease CAN happen and it is REAL.

Video Blog "11 Reasons Why World AIDS Day is Important" Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O50555gr0Zg by Luvvie of Red Pump Project

Easy! Use condoms, not using syringes used, and get more information on HIV and AIDS

One of the major problems with dealing with HIV/AIDS in the community is that we allow the "Black Church" to continue to preach that this disease is God's punishment for those that are "gay". It is unacceptable to continue to allow those that stand in the pulpit each Sunday to continue to create an environment where HIV/AIDS is made out to be God's will and makes people, especially women< downplay the risk they are facing. The teaching of those church leaders is one of the major reasons we are facing epidemic numbers. HIV AIDS is the number one killer of African Americans age 25 to 34. We are now over 50% of all HIV AIDS cases in the USA but are only 13% of the population. It is time for us to demand that the Church stop being used as a voice of hate and genocide and move back to being the voice for social justice. The health of our community depends on it.

Why do we let the Black Church off the hook for causing fear and hate of those with HIV/AIDS?

Breaking down conventions, societal, religious and everything else, to have an honest conversation about our sexual practices and how to be safe. It's not enough to simply talk about sex education, we have to find out why people who know how to be safe are choosing to have unsafe sex. We have to create a world where there isn't a stigma for women, no matter their age or marital status, to choose to have sex.

We need the Black Church to stop their message of hate and understand that HIV/AIDS is not God's punishment.

To get to zero we need open conversations. We all should be talking about HIV/AIDS. It should be a part of our every day conversations...just like people take about diabetes, indigestion and heart trouble. I hear more people having open conversations about acid reflex that HIV/AIDS. People let's start talking about it.

Mandatory testing...some people it violates their civil rights. Well, aren't y civil rights violated when a person knows they are infected and still has unprotected sex with me. Mandatory testing...yup!

It will take education and self-esteem building. Too many Black women - young and old - do not know how to navigate the pressure men put on them to have sex. In addition, too many women use sex to get what they need or want - money, cars, houses, bills paid, etc. Sex is not treasured in our society enough. It is a treasured act between two people who truly love each other. Let's develop innovative ways to build self-esteem among Black women.

It will take engaging our community, men and women, girls and boys, old and young in honest conversations about sex, sexuality and relationships that eradicate stigma and stereotypes.