HIV/AIDS has now shifted to the predominantly African American south suburbs due in part to the displacement of CHA residents, but also to "high risk" behavior problems, county medical officials and civil rights leaders said Monday.
According to Cook County Department of Public Health Director Dr. Stephen Martin, high risk behavior patterns are still a national "state of disaster." He said it has become a nagging problem for the county.
Martin and other officials such as the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr., had a clear message on World AIDS Day -- that having sex should not be left up to the roll of the dice, but rather it should be conducted responsibly -- by using protection.
They made their comments during a press conference held at the CORE Center, 2020 W. Harrison, where they were joined by: Cook County Board President John H. Stroger Jr., Commissioner Bobbie Steele, Dr. Robert Weinstein, chief operating officer of the CORE Center, Ruth Rothstein, chief of the Cook County Bureau of Health Services, and Dr. Dave Barker, medical director of the Core Center, 2020 W. Harrison.
AIDS, Jackson said, is a "global" pestilence but one he says can be "largely" prevented through education and early testing and treatment.
Earlier, Jackson visited the Cook County Jail where he was joined by several supporters including his national political director, Bill Walls, and activists Wallace "Gator" Bradley, Aaron Patterson, U.S. Floyd and six inmates who also took a swab test.
Martin said in the 1980s and early 1990s, AIDS was often viewed as a gay white man's disease. But, today he said, it has snatched lives and affected others from all ethnic groups and classes of people including in the south suburbs of Chicago.
"There is a movement of AIDS because of the housing situation in Chicago," Martin told the Chicago Defender, referring to the displacement of CHA residents to the south suburbs.
Quoting Jackson, Martin said, "It's not just an issue of one being poor and Black. Anyone can contract HIV/AIDS, and it happens we're seeing it being concentrated in the South suburbs as well as in the Western suburbs of Cook County.
"One of the reasons why we're seeing significant numbers in the south suburbs is because there is a population shift occurring in the county, and we're also seeing a natural existence of the disease in this area."
"This coupled with the relocation of public housing residents has caused a rise in HIV/AIDS for the south suburban area. "We're beginning to see that this is a very important issue in the south suburbs...."
Martin said the face is "white behind the Black community" with Latinos being the next group being hit hard.
"Just because of the new high tech medicine, it has prolonged life.... No one should be complacent about the disease. Everyone needs to be vigilant about getting tested, knowing their HIV/AIDS status.
"They should know their HIV status as well as if they choose in sexual behavior, they should make sure they are protecting themselves," said Martin.
"It's about protection, prevention, and education. It's not a taboo to be tested. If you choose to place yourself in a high risk behavior, you need to know your HIV status," Martin said. "We definitely need more advocates out there pushing the message to get tested."
At the Core Center, Jackson said AIDS is neither an African nor a gay problem, but that the disease knows no discrimination or class. "The face of AIDS is getting Blacker, and browner, younger and more female. There is a radical rise in women with AIDS" as well as those engaging in "at risk" behavior.
At the Center, Jackson spoke to Diane Garrett, 47, an African American North Side mother of three, who said on April 1, 1999 she came to Cook County Hospital" to see if I had a sexually transmitted disease.
"They asked me if I wanted to take an HIV test. I didn't think I had anything, so I said yeah, sure, and it came back positive," Garrett said, urging everyone to get tested and to take their medication.
"I take my medicine and now I'm undetected," she said.
This, Jackson said, can prolong the lives of those infected with the killer disease. The HIV/AIDS virus knows no boundaries, race, or gender, he stated, challenging the media to "take less than a minute" to publicly take the HIV/AIDS test to "send the signal" that it's OK to take the test.
U.S. Health Secretary Tommy Thompson said fighting the scourge of AIDS has become a "war" and one where he says officials must "redouble" their efforts because he believes "we're losing the war."
"This war has more casualties than any other war as we are losing three million people every year," Thompson said.
Article copyright Sengstacke Enterprises, Inc.
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