Yesterday, members of the Penn State community helped call attention to the growing AIDS crisis among blacks in America with HIV/AIDS disease testing and a discussion panel hosted by the Black Caucus.

The activities were available free in honor of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, established in 2001 to encourage HIV/AIDS education, testing and prevention among blacks and other groups.

Black Caucus President Ed Smith said that although many Penn State students do not participate in the awareness campaign, they do have the ability to make a difference.

"It's not widely celebrated at the Penn State campus," he said. "But students can do their part by being more aware; by bringing more consciousness to the conversation."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), blacks represent 12 percent of America's population, but make up about 40 percent of the nation's AIDS cases.

In 2000, blacks comprised 368,169 of the 929,985 estimated AIDS cases since the outbreak of the disease -- and the numbers are rising.

"Black community HIV rates are going up, up, up," said African and African-American Studies professor David McBride, a speaker at the panel.

Although HIV/AIDS testing is available year round at University Health Services, off-site testing was available yesterday in the Grange Building's Multicultural Resource Center, said Diana Ramos, community health educator for the office of health promotion and education.

"Because high risk groups include minority communities ... we include them in list of testing sites," she said.

Ramos added off-site testing has also been available at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Transgender and Allies Student Resource Center in 101 Boucke.

Members of the Black Caucus discussion panel talked about the reasons behind the spread of the disease and factors that influence susceptibility.

"When you have a disease that has no cure ... [rates] will continue to go up until we keep factors that make it continue to spread in check," biobehavioral health professor Collins Airhihenbuwa said.

McBride said that while people living in poverty are at a high risk of developing HIV, the disease crosses over class lines.

"Donald Trump could get HIV, or a homeless person in the street could get HIV," he said.

African Students Association Vice President Tshepo Tsheko said Penn State students should care about the awareness campaign because young people are especially at risk of developing the disease.

"For 18- to 24-year-olds, you have a 100 percent risk of getting it ... meaning everything you do puts you at risk," he said, adding that the disease crosses color lines. "It doesn't matter what your color of skin is ... you're at risk."