National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is Feb. 7 and health advocates say the day serves as a reminder of the impact of the disease on black Americans, the importance of getting tested for HIV and the need for continued education and prevention.

On Feb. 2, the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) joined the Twenty Pearls Foundation, a nonprofit affiliated with the Tau Epsilon Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, in a day of education and observance at Greenbriar Mall in southwest Atlanta. Attendees heard speakers discuss HIV prevention, learned about agencies offering access to treatment and took rapid response HIV tests. The event's organizers had four messages for Georgia's black community: get educated, get tested, get treated and get involved.

"HIV is a preventable disease. The African-American community must work together to end the silence surrounding this disease and the misconceptions that promote HIV transmission," said Brandi Williams, DPH HIV prevention program manager. "HIV and AIDS among African-American men and women continue to be a health concern and priority for the state of Georgia."

Black men and women make up about 31 percent of Georgia's population, but they account for a far larger portion of the state's HIV and AIDS cases. In 2010, DPH counted 18,535 people living with HIV in Georgia -- 72 percent of those people were black. The state had 23,451 people living with AIDS in 2010, 69 percent of whom were black.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), black men and women are affected by HIV/AIDS more than any other racial or ethnic group. CDC said one reason the risk for this group is greater is the higher proportion of people in the black community who are infected, since many black people have sexual partners of the same ethnicity. Higher rates of other sexually transmitted diseases, which can facilitate transmission of HIV, as well as increased poverty, limited access to health care, racial discrimination and higher rates of incarceration also increase HIV risk among black Americans.

Social fears and beliefs also play a central role in the spread of HIV in all races. A DPH analysis found that stigma, homophobia and fear of discrimination were some of the social attitudes that affected HIV testing rates and prevention among black men and women in Georgia, Williams said. To address those factors, DPH plans to launch the African-American Community Engagement Campaign, creating positive, informational messages about the importance of HIV prevention and testing that leaders from religious, business, entertainment and other fields can share with their communities.

"It is time to reject the denial and stigma and begin having open and honest dialogue about the disease where we live, work, play and worship," Williams said.

DPH continues to explore more efficient and effective ways to support proven interventions, link infected individuals to care and reduce the number of new HIV infections in Georgia, with particular focus on the state's racial and ethnic communities.

Williams said the first thing Georgians of all races can do to prevent HIV is to get tested.