HIV-AIDS AWARENESS

BDV-672933-BDV

Three years ago, Janine married Gary, her high school sweetheart. Gary was handsome, charming, successful, and an excellent father to Janine's teenage children from a previous marriage. They bought a beautiful brand new home in the suburbs and Janine thought she was living the American dream. That is until the day she listened to Gary's voice messages and heard another man calling her husband, "baby." Janine's perfect dream world quickly turned into a devastating nightmare. Three years later, Janine is still struggling with depression, financial debt, and other health issues. "Unfortunately Janine's story is all too common", says Joy Marie, the author of the explosive, informative, new book, The Straight-Up Truth About The Down-Low: Women share their stories of betrayal, pain and survival (Creative Wisdom Books-March 2008).

"Black women are the fastest growing HIV/AIDS population in the US and they are most likely to be infected through high-risk heterosexual contact. This includes sex with husbands and boyfriends living the down-low lifestyle. Many women who are married or in long-term relationships believe they are safe and not at risk of being infected. Women in marriages are lulled into a false sense of security", says Marie. Joy Marie is the pen name of two women who have survived marriages to down-low men. Four years ago, the "Down-low" was a hot, controversial topic discussed in the media. Recently, the subject of the down-low seems to be taboo and has been swept under the rug and labeled "hype" and a "myth." "The Down-low is not hype or a myth, nor is it just another way to vilify black men.

This is evidenced by the many letters, e-mails and phone calls we receive every week from women in crisis because they have discovered their husbands/boyfriends are sleeping with men behind their backs. Recently, we received a telephone call from a woman whose sister had contracted HIV/AIDS from her down-low husband. The sister was hospitalized with pneumonia and an extremely low T-cell count. We believe the account of our experiences and what we have learned from other women will bring about awareness and a heightened sense of self-responsibility. We want women to become informed, thus able to protect themselves from the men who practice this deceitful, life-threatening behavior", says Marie.