Black In Business

Aids are of interest to me because of my health care business background. Today we learned of 4 organ recipients have been confirmed as HIV positive. This is big and worrisome news for Doctors and patients both. Our nation’s blood supply has been protected since March of 1985 when the blood supply first started for the antibody HTLV-III. The current antibody test is for HIV.
We now have ability to test for the Virus as well as the antibody and our blood supply is extremely safe. However as the horrific news from Chicago points out, there is still risk. There is a lag time for the virus to rise and be detectable prior to the antibody to be measurable. If the donor just contacted the virus in the last weeks of his life, it is very possible his blood work would indicate negative to the antibody, and the virus had not risen as well.
Although this is not great news to receive as a recipient, perhaps the donated organ will still save and extend your life with proper medical intervention.
As black Americans, we now represent over 50 % of new aids cases even though we are only 13% of the population. Many of us engage in high risk life styles ; including but not limited to, multiple sex partners, down low sex, sex without protection, and drug abuse including shared needles. Way down on the list would be blood transfusions or organ recipients
There is a national quilt being made to honor people whom have died from complications involved in being stricken with the AIDS virus. Of the names being honored only 1% are black people. There is a movement to add more black names to the list. This is a worthy effort.
The purpose of this post is to bring attention to a medical situation that can be a source of opportunity for black business people or students. Science is an exciting field, and jobs exist for researchers, nurses, doctors social workers, laboratory workers, sales people, managers, business owners and for me recruiters. If you are considering a career that can put you in a position to help black people, and earn well, look at the options the science of AIDS can provide.