Las Vegas Organization Aims to Educate Black Women About HIV/AIDS
Sista to Sista, a not-for-profit group operating in Clark County, Nev., works to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS among Las Vegas-area black women, who are 20 times more likely to contract HIV than others in the community, the Las Vegas Sun reports in a profile of the group. Black women make up 7% of the county's population, but account for 42% of its AIDS cases. "Information is not readily available in the community," Dr. Reva Anderson, executive director and founder of Sista to Sista, said, adding that most programs are aimed at gay men, injection drug users, sex workers and those in prison. According to Anderson, 33% of the women the group seeks to educate do not fall into any of those groups. Begun in 1998 with the aim of peer education, Sista to Sista has expanded its services to offer emotional support, assistance with medical care and testing outreach. However, its "main goal still remains education," the Sun reports. The group holds information sessions at schools and housing projects, gives seminars for other not-for-profit agencies in the area and has graduated 140 women from its training program (Mohor, Las Vegas Sun, 10/12).
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