Rock the Red Pump: March 10, 2011

The Muses recently heard about The Red Pump Project which was started by a couple of (stylish) women to raise awareness about the impact of HIV/AIDS on women and girls.

Obviously the words "red pump" grabbed us immediately. We love a good excuse to strut in red heels but this campaign is about a lot more than just looking good on March 10. Founders Lovette "Luuvie" Ajayi and Karyn Brianne Watkins want to educate people about the effect of HIV/AIDS on women and girls. Here are a few things we learned while milling around on their Web site.

• The largest number of HIV/AIDS diagnoses recently are for women ages 15 - 39.
• HIV/AIDS disproportionately affects miniority women in the United States. According to the 2005 census, black and Latina women represent 24% of all US women combined, but 82% of the estimated total AIDS diagnoses for women in 2005.
• HIV is the leading cause of death for black women ages 25 - 34 years.
• The rate of AIDS diagnosis for black women is approximately 23 times the rates for white women and 4 times the rate for Latina women.
• In 2006, black teens represented 69% of reported AIDS cases among 13-19 year olds; Latino teens represented 19%.

Bottom line - AIDS isn't just the cause of the 1990s; it's still the cause of right now, because it's affecting millions of people right now - many of whom are women and young girls. Join us on March 10 by wearing your red heels and step out for those affected by AIDS.