"The risk of getting HIV as a black man who has sex with men in Jackson, Mississippi is 1 in 2."
HIV infection rates across the US are on the decline overall, yet a CDC report from earlier in 2016 projects that one in two black men who have sex with men (MSM) will contract HIV in their lifetimes. In Jackson, Mississippi, up to 40 percent of black MSM are infected with the disease.
Georgiboi.com recently did a portrait series capturing some of the faces from the HIV crisis in the US—those who live with the illness and those who are helping to fight it.
They are also the subject of the Tonic Special No Access: Young, Black, & Positive. Please watch this and share with others.
The risk of getting HIV as a black man who has sex with men in Jackson, Mississippi is 1 in 2. Four out of ten men that have sex with men have the disease, giving the area odds worse than many Sub-Saharan African nations. These are hard facts to believe, let alone live with.
There was a lot of low feelings while watching this, but there were some bright spots, too. The people that give their hard work and determination in the face of negativity need to be commended. With programs like Grace House and Open Arms, there is some hope.
We would like to thank Tonic and GeorgiBoi for helping to share this story.
h/t: georgiboi.com