Imam Talib of the Mosque of Islamic Brotherhood to be Tested;

Will Encourage Others to do so

City Council Member Dickens says, “All Black and Latino New Yorkers must learn their status to defeat this epidemic.”

Harlem United Community AIDS Center’s “Let’s Do It” National HIV Testing Day campaign will feature a health fair, with other community based organizations, hospitals and health care providers outside the Mosque of Islamic Brotherhood in Harlem, hosted by the mosque.  Testing will be offered at five additional sites around Harlem.

The highlight of the day will be testing Imam Al-Hajj Talib ‘Abdur-Rashid for the HIV virus and comments by City Council Member Inez Dickens to encourage all Harlem residents to get tested at 1:30 pm.

WHEN:           Saturday, June 27, 2009

                        12 noon – 5 pm

                        Press event at 1:30 pm

WHERE:        

                        In front of Mosque of the Islamic Brotherhood

Although Black Americans represent 12% of the U.S. population, they constitute nearly half of the 1 million U.S. residents estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS.  Latinos account for one in five new HIV diagnoses.

In New York City 80% of new AIDS diagnoses and deaths are among African Americans and Hispanics.  East and Central Harlem remain an epicenter of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in New York and the country.  While they collectively account for only slightly more than 3% of NYC's population, in 2005 they accounted for:

1.         more than 8% of the city's new HIV diagnoses;

2.         more than 9% of all AIDS diagnoses; and,

3.         nearly 10% of AIDS-related deaths in New York City.

One out of 100 New Yorkers lives with HIV/AIDS, but in Harlem, it’s 3 out of 100.