Keri Hilson, Wendy Williams at New York AIDS walk say HIV awareness is sorely lacking

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share via Email
• Copy Link

  Link Copied

The month of May has been huge for the fight against HIV and AIDS. This month has included approval of a drug to prevent the HIV infection, the creation of a new over-the-counter HIV test and $6 million raised to help those living with the disease. Despite all of this, singer Keri Hilson and TV personality Wendy Williams said this is not enough, while at the NY AIDS walk, especially when it comes to African-Americans.

“We’ve had an impact regarding awareness, but not enough of an impact,” Williams said. “Any average 17-year-old right now is not even threatened by AIDS. The big bubble of fear is trapped within a particular age group, and I don’t believe that it exists with high school kids and even some college kids,” she said. The Huffington Post reports:

It’s been a big month in the fight against HIV and AIDS. On May 10, a panel of federal advisers gave a thumbs up to the first drug shown to prevent HIV infection; just five days later, a panel recommended approval of the first over-the-counter HIV test, which would allow consumers to screen themselves in the privacy of their own homes; and yesterday, some 45,000 New Yorkers reportedly raised over $6 million to aid in medical and social services required by those already living with the disease.

Among them were singer Keri Hilson and TV personality Wendy Williams, who each told The Huffington Post that, despite these advances, awareness is where the fight falls short, especially when it comes to African Americans.

“We’ve had an impact regarding awareness, but not enough of an impact,” Williams said. “Any average 17-year-old right now is not even threatened by AIDS. The big bubble of fear is trapped within a particular age group, and I don’t believe that it exists with high school kids and even some college kids,” she said.

Click here for the full story.