How much does it cost over a lifetime, to care for a teenager living with AIDS? What is the impact of HIV/AIDS in the corporate community? What is the cost of prevention education?
The Conference will address these questions, and the various societal issues that cause pre-teens, teens, and young adults to engage in risky behaviors that lead to the contraction of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections.
The conference is designed to highlight the need for the entire community to assume a greater role in prevention education for HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections.
The focus is on HIV/AIDS because there is no cure for the disease; and after twenty-five years of HIV/AIDS in our country, there is an increase in the infection rate among teenagers and young adults (13-24 years).
The goal is to stimulate a community dialogue, which incorporates a comprehensive, multi-disciplined approach, and addresses the economic impact of HIV/AIDS, as well as, the economics of prevention education.
The overall objective is to galvanize a community effort to address the deadly disease that robs the community of our talented and gifted young people. The social and cultural underpinnings of risky behaviors will be incorporated in the conference.
The emphasis is on the impact of HIV/AIDS on the community, its overall drain on the future health of the community, as well as, the impact of the financial and cultural drain. Unfortunately, as with many community ills, HIV/AIDS affects African-American youth at a higher rate than other ethnic groups. We must seize the moment to reclaim our youth to insure a healthy future.
The targeted audience for the expanded program includes: corporations, businesses, Insurance companies, government officials, college/school officials, service providers, health departments, health providers, educators, parents, faith-based organizations, community organizations.