News
National HIV/AIDS Awareness Day Highlighted By Speaker
By: Tori Knueven
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One in every five Americans is living with HIV, unaware that they have it.
The black community makes up the largest number of people diagnosed with HIV.
Thursday marked the National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.
David Robertson, a sex education prevention specialist and speaker, lives with the disease and brings youth a message about the HOPE Campaign.
"HOPE stands for Helping Other People Evolve. I firmly believe [in] giving other people a face of hope, showing them that HIV is not a death sentence," says Robertson.
Robertson aims to educate and change the impression and stereotpes related to HIV.
"The reality is that when an individual is infected, they just want to know, you know, am I still loved? 'Do you still care for me?' 'Are you okay with my well-being?' Not so much how did I get it, why did I get it and who did I get it from," said Robertson.
Robertson spoke at the Ohio University Baker Theatre about "The Four Basic HOPE Invoked Qualities" which are Self Love, Global/National Community Activism and Global Citizenship.