3B
LIFE/ tE:i[|e Clisrlotte $OiE(t
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Campaign’s aim: Reduce HTV
By Cherts R Hodges
c}ierisJiodges@ihecharlotteposttom
Mecklenburg County has
the highest rate of HIV cases
in North Carolina.
Many of those new cases
are African Americans under
the age of 40.
The question is why ^\Tth
the information available
about HIV/AIDS and safe
sex, are young people paying
attention?
The numbers say no.
In 2000, African Americans
between the ages of 13 and 19
made up 63 percent of adoles
cent mV cases, but were only
15 percent of the population,
according to the Centos for
Disease and Control.
AIDS is also the number
one killer of African
Americans ages 25-44 and
Mecklenburg County had the
hipest reported in North
Carolina in 2004.
But the Rev. Carl Arrington,
director of minority programs
at Regional AIDS Interfaith
Network, said young people
aren’t getting the message
because unlike the white gay
community, the message of
mV prevaition hasn’t been
given to them in ways they
can imderstand.
And then there’s Magic
Johnson.
“A lot of times when I go
places, people say‘what about
Magic Johnson?’ Arrington
said. “There is a rumor out
there that he’s cured. And he’s
not. I have quotes from birn
that I keep above my desk
that says Tor me, staying
healthy with HIV means lis
tening to my doctor and tak
ing my medicine every day”’
Accordii^ to a 2005 report
from the Black AIDS
Institute, people under age 25
accoimt for half of all new
HIV infections and 56 percent
of those people are black.
“While the threat of HIV
must be understood as a dan
ger to the lives of aU African
American young people, the
numbers are especially trou
bling for certain groups in
black communities-yoimg
black men who have sex with
men and young African
American women,” the report
states.
A series of recent studies
show that young black men
are behind a surge in new
HIV infections among gay
and bisenial men in recent
years. The CDC reported last
year that 46 percent of black
men who have sex with men
in five major cities tested pos
itive for mv.
In the same study, the num
ber of HIV cases among young
women dropped by 20 per-
csit; however, black women
still represent the bulk of new
infections.
Young people, Arrington
said, also think that contract
ing HIV will never happen to
them “And if it does, they
think there’s medicine out .
there,” he said.
And some young people
who exhibit reckless behavior
just don’t care, Arrington
said. “They think that with
‘all that’s going on in my life,
Tm not going to live long any
way”’
But HIV isn’t the death sen
tence it was 20 years ago.
According to the CDC, young
people diagnosed with AIDS
fiom 1995-2002 lived longer
than paeons with AIDS in
any other ^ group except
those younga* than age 13.
Nine years after a diagnosis
of AIDS, 72 percent of those
aged 13-24 were alive, com
pared with 76 percent of
those younger than age 13, 70
percent of those aged 25-34,
66 percent of those aged 35-
44, 60 percmt of those aged
45-54, and 50 percent of
those aged 55 and older.
The Black AIDS Institute
report said that it is impor
tant to realize that there is no
magic bullet that will end the
AIDS epidemic.
‘We must abandon the
himt for easy targets-men on
the down low, hip-hop music.
internet dating-and face all of
the imcomfortable truths and
intertwined pressures that
put young black Americans at
greater risk for everything
fiom homelessness to HIV,”
the report states.
RAIN is reaching out to
yoimg people. On Saturday
the group is sponsoring a
health and safety workshop
before prom at the McCrorey
YMCA, located at 3801
Beatties Ford Road fiom 10
a.m. to 2 p.m. Former
Carolina Panther Brentson
Buckn^ will be the keynote
speaka- for the event.
“Education is the key,” said
Buckner. ‘Tt’s never too early
to talk to kids about the con
sequences of being sexually
active - consequences that
can affect the rest of your
Ufe.” Diuing the program,
issues impacting youth will
be discussed, such as
HIV/AIDS and other sexually
transmitted diseases and dri
ving wMle intoxicated - topics
that are particularly impor
tant during hi^ school prom
Buy an extra copy of ^
“tEIje to share
with a friend/
This pre-prom health and
safety workshop is fi:^ and
op«i to all high-school aged
youth For more information,
call Arrington at (704) 372-
RAIN, extension 115.
^ (ion nmMXMim nr wdrk
‘South Park’ voice Hayes quits, citing
religious intolerance of Scientology
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK—Isaac Hayes
has quit “South Park” where
he voices the character of
Ch^, saying he can no longer
stomach its take on religion.
Hayes, who has played the
ladies’ man/schcx)! cook in the
animated Comedy Central
cable TV satire since 1997,
said in a statement Monday
that he feels a fine has been
i
Hayes
“There is a place in this
world for satire, but there is a
time when satire ends and
intolerance and bigotry
towards religious beliefs of
others begins,” the 63-year-
old soul singer and outspoken
Scientologist
said.
“Religious
befiefs are
sacred to peo-
fle, and at all
times should
be respected
and honored,”
he continued.
“As a dvil rights activist of
the past 40 years, I cannot
support a show that disre
spects those befiefs and prac
tices.”
“South Park” co-creator
Matt Stone responded
sharply in an interview with
The Associated Press on
Monday saying, “This is 100
percent having to do with his
Drug reduces pressure
Continued from page 1B
Asti-aZeneca PLC. The company sponsored and helped design
the study
Researchers gave 391 people the drug and 381 others phony
pills for two years, then had everyone take dummy pills for two
more years.
During the first two years, 154 people on fake piUs developed
hi^ blood pressure versus only 53 given the drug.
However, in the next two years when those on the drug went
off 155 devdoped hi^ blood pressure, matching what hap
pened in the first two years in the placebo group.
This 3i:^ests the disease was jiast delayed, not truly prevent
ed, said Dr. James Stein, a University of \Msconsin-Madison
cardiologist who had no role in the research.
“Once people stop therapy blood pressure goes up inexorably
so I’m not sure we can prevent hyperteision,” he said
Results were presented Tbesday at an American College of
Cardiology meeting and published online by the New England
Journal of Medicine.
faith of Scientology.. He has
no problem—and he’s cashed
plenty of checks—with our
show making fun of
Christians.”
Last November, “South
Park’ targeted the Church of
Scientology and its celebrity
followers, including actors
Tom Cruise and John
Travolta, in a top-rated
episode called “TVapped in the
Closet.” In the episode, Stan,
one of the show’s four mis
chievous fourth graders, is
hailed as a reluctant savior by
Scientology leaders, while a
cartoon Cruise locks bimsftlf
in a closet and won’t come out.
Stone told The AP that he
and co-creator Tiey Parker
“never heard a peep out of
Isaac in any way until we did
Scientology He wants a dif
ferent standard for religions
other than his own, and to
me, that is where intolerance
and bigotry begin.”
s
WADE-AM ' ^
1340
WADESBORO, NC
...mk *3!. 'Ti'iif £mw, Einkti, Pum ijivl,
pMlip 'hais,
'At. jhut^ 'dt. 'Msm, fmh “EiiJm
'Skwimtl /kmi(, fim m tit fimlf (wd m(k mil
^MihanifUmd!
1501 N. l-flS SERVICE ROAO • CHSfiLOnE, NC 2B2I6
7C!4-393-t540
THERE’S HOPE IN THE TOTE
When you have nothing, the
smallest things can mean a lot.
That's why Charlotte Rescue
Mission collects toiletries each
year and distributes them on
Easter. Toothpaste, deodorant,
shampoo and soap may not
mean a lot to you, but to those in
need it's a wonderful gift. This
year, we're mailing out 2000 pur
ple Hope Totes to churches and
nonprofit groups to be filled and
returned to the Mission. If you'd
like to help, you can bring your
men's and women's health and
beauty items to any Showmar's
Restaurant location by April 7.
For more information, please call Doug Macomb at 704-3344635 ext.
214. Remember - hope can be a powerful weapon to help fix broken
lives.
Showmars
Casual Pltiitig...Fast!
CHARLOTTE RESCUE MISSION
Offering hope to broken lives by God's Grace
FAMILY
The State Farm
% Family
Presented by Whirlpool & Radio One
Saturday
March 25, 2006
Charlotte Merchandise Mart
11am - 6pm
ENJOY Lots of Music, Food,
Entertainment, Guest Speakers
and more!
Don't Miss Your Chance
to Perform in the
2006
GOSPEL
GET DOWN
Enter Your Choir Now!
The Deadline is
Friday, March 3, 2006.
Call toll free for details.
Produced by
SPONSORED BY:
State Farm ■ Whirpool - Radio One - Walgreens •• Lowe's Food
Wells Fargo • Carolina Harley-Davidson • Brinks Home Security
Adecco • Talley's Green Grocery - Cornerstone Medical
Peach Auto Painting & Collision - DR Horton - Vision Realty Group
Interim Healthcare - First Citizens Bank Charlotte Post M.A.D.D
For Exhibitor and Sponsorship Information
Call TOLL FREE 1-866-771-6664