Hyattsville, Md. is among 10 cities targeted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention’s “Take Charge, Take the Test,” campaign, which kicked off March 1 to increase HIV testing and awareness among African American women.

Experts said one of the hardest parts of addressing the HIV/AIDS issue is spreading awareness about the need to get tested, know one’s status and practicing safer sex—especially when the people involved have pledged themselves to a monogamous relationship. The failure to have that conversation, along with other health factors, are instrumental in the high rate of HIV/AIDS among African American women.

According to the CDC, nearly one in 30 Black women will become infected with HIV in her lifetime. Black women do not engage in more risky behaviors than other women, the agency said, but a complex range of social and environmental factors place them at greater risk for HIV.

Black women “do have the power to take charge of their health,” said Donna McCree, associate director of health equity in the CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention.

McCree said Washington, D.C. has one of the highest HIV/AIDS infection rates in the country, but already has an aggressive awareness and prevention program. Hyattsville was seen as a nexus from which the campaign’s programs could reach not only the District, but Prince George’s County, Md. and Baltimore as well.

The campaign will deliver its message through billboards, posters and radio and literature distributed at salons, stores and through community organizations, “anywhere Black women gather,” McCree said.

The campaign will be done in partnership with local communities and will provide toolkits for local health departments to help distribute information about where to get tested and find health services if necessary.

Local campaign spokeswomen will also be available to tell their personal stories of dealing with HIV/AIDS.

The other cities included in the campaign are Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Houston, Memphis, Newark, New Orleans, and St. Louis.

The CDC is launching the campaign in conjunction with National Women and Girls HIV Awareness Day on March 10.

For more information, visit www.cdc.gov.