Nineteen Fifty-Six Vol. 3 Issue 1

MORGAN LEWIS & TYQUAN HOUSTON
HIV is a virus that attacks the body’s immune
system. The CDC reports that most people
have flu-like symptoms within 2 to 4 weeks after
the infection, including a sore throat, fever, rash,
night sweats, mouth ulcers, etc. The second stage of
HIV infection is asymptomatic. The virus is still active,
but a person may not get any symptoms.
If a person with HIV is left untreated, the virus can
evolve into AIDS. People who have AIDS have a badly
damaged immune system and can be prone to other infections
as well.
According to the CDC, HIV can be transmitted through
sexual contact including anal sex, vaginal sex and oral
sex. The virus can also be transmitted by sharing needles,
syringes or other drug injection equipment. If
bodily fluids from an infected person touch the mucous
membranes of a non-infected person, it could lead to
infection. Bodily fluids come from cuts, sores, or open
wounds of an infected person.
NEW HIV DIAGNOSES
in 2020, according to a CDC report
42% OF THE DIAGNOSES:
AFRICAN
AMERICAN
26% OF THE DIAGNOSES:
BLACK
LGBTQ+
PREVENTION
In 2020, there were a total of 30,349 new HIV diagnoses
reported by the CDC. 42% of those cases were African
Americans. Black people in the LGBTQIA+ community
were the most affected with Black gay and bisexual men
accounting for 26% of the new diagnoses.
HIV is not a curable disease, however there are ways to
prevent an infection. A person can use condoms every
time they have anal or vaginal sex, refrain from sharing
needles or syringes. Sexually active people can also take
pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to significantly reduce
the chances of contracting HIV.
As a young gay Black man, the fear of HIV is overwhelming,”
Tyquan Houston, a senior majoring in public
health at UA, said. “For me, being on PrEP has sort of
taken a weight off my shoulders.”
There are other barriers Black people must overcome in
order to receive proper education and treatment of HIV.
The cost of treatment is one of those barriers. However,
there are also medical centers across the U.S. dedicated
to helping people get the treatment they need. Five
Horizons in Tuscaloosa is designed to be a safe space
for HIV education and treatment, among other things.
USE CONDOMS
WHEN HAVING ANAL
OR VAGINAL SEX
DON'T SHARE
NEEDLES OR SY-
RINGES
TAKE PrEP
IF YOU'RE
SEXUALLY ACTIVE
Receiving PrEP treatment at Five Horizons can be at
virtually no cost for people that need it. The center is
willing to work with all forms of health insurance to
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