Download the WAVY News App to keep up with the latest news, weather and sports from WAVY-TV 10. Available in both the Apple and Google Play stores.
CHESAPEAKE, Va.(WAVY) — A local health department is hoping to raise awareness about rising HIV/AIDs in the Black community.
February 7 is National Black HIV/AIDs Awareness Day. According to the CDC, 42% of new HIV diagnosis are among Black people.
Chesapeake Health Department Nurse Practitioner Chanell Dorris says they’re seeing skyrocketing number across the country and in Virginia.
“We only make up about 19% of the Virginia population, but in 2019, we took up 64% of new HIV diagnoses. It really doesn’t have to be that way,” she said, referring to the Black population.
Dorris, who has worked in medicine for five years, says she works to help keep people healthy and talking about HIV/AIDs is one way of doing that.
“The biggest thing, I believe is the education part. There’s a lot we don’t know about our bodies. There’s a lot of things we don’t know about healthcare in general. That’s my goal every day to come in and teach somebody about how they can keep themselves healthy,” she said.
The COVID pandemic has also impacted health and people going to get testing as well as treatment.
“I think COVID put a damper on testing in general. We were told to stay home. We were told to quarantine, limit contact. I think that’s what’s bringing about what looks like an increase in numbers. Now everyone’s going to get tested. There was a lag in testing. I think that was a major issue,” she said.
The number one way to prevent getting HIV/AIDs is to practice abstinence, according to Dorris.
If not, she recommends using condoms as well as getting tested to know your status.
Dorris believes there’s still a stigma around HIV/AIDs but it’s important to be educated.
“We don’t want it to be that way. We want people to feel comfortable, to talk about it. When you talk about it, you ask questions and you learn about it. I think we’ve made great strides in 2022 in people are living healthy, happy lives with HIV because of the treatments available now but preventing it is the number one way to living healthy,” she said.
HIV and STD testing is available at the Chesapeake Health Department, 748 N Battlefield Boulevard, on Tuesday and Fridays from 8:30-10:30 a.m. and on Wednesdays from 1-3p.m.
