Michigan awards $2.5 million for HIV-AIDS prevention

The state of Michigan today awarded $2.5 million for HIV-AIDS prevention and intervention in urban communities throughout the state.

Some of the cities that will directly benefit from the fund include: Detroit, Kalamazoo, Dearborn, Ypsilanti, Saginaw, Lansing, Ferndale, Grand Rapids, Muskegon, and Flint.

"The funds are going to be used to work on counseling, testing, education, community-level interventions, things to reduce the stigma and any risk behaviors in those communities for HIV and AIDS," said Michigan Department of Community Health spokeswoman Angela Minicuci.

Prevention programs that will benefit from the fund are expected to continue seeking out and working directly with people who have the greatest risk for contracting HIV-AIDS.

"We're going to be specifically working to reach African-Americans, particularly young adults, because they are actually disproportionately affected by HIV-AIDS," said Minicuci.

The HIV-AIDS prevention and intervention fund is meant to last through 2016.

-Lindsay Hall, Michigan Radio Newsroom