The statistics are startling. Nationally, black men are seven times more likely than white men to contract HIV. Black women are 15 times more likely to develop the disease.

Although Indiana's numbers aren't quite that high, state health officials and public health activists want to send a message of prevention to all populations. This morning, they'll host the Fifth Annual Statewide HIV Awareness Program.

"As much as we try to get the word out about the disease being 100 percent preventable, the numbers are still growing," said Andrea Perez, communities of color program manager for the Indiana State Department of Health. "Right now, we're seeing a big spike in the African-American population, and that's a big cause for alarm."

About 9,170 people in Indiana have the disease. Blacks constitute 8 percent of the statewide population, but they make up more than a third of people with the disease in Indiana.

Other minorities also are disproportionately affected by the disease, and the numbers are growing, especially for Hispanic men and women, Perez said. Last year, Hispanics accounted for 7 percent of the new cases of HIV/AIDS among women in Indiana.

Today's program features Marvelyn Brown, author of "The Naked Truth: Young, Beautiful and (HIV) Positive." Brown, 24, was diagnosed with HIV at 19.

Joseph Seabrooks, president of Missouri's Metropolitan Community College-Blue River, will discuss how hip-hop music affects HIV rates among young blacks.

Last year's event drew about 900 people, many of whom were middle and high school students, said Teresa White, director of support services for Bethlehem House, a nonprofit that helps those affected by HIV.

Although the majority of new infections occur among people in their mid-20s and older, some new cases here turn up in people as young as 12 and 13, White said, adding that's why it's important to talk to youths about prevention.

"Abstinence is the 100 percent way of not becoming infected. However, that's just not the reality of today," she said.

Those who will not abstain from risky behaviors should take steps such as using condoms for all sexual activity, cleaning needles before using them and getting tested regularly to know their status, Perez said.

"The power to prevent HIV infection is really in your hands. It's a matter of getting the information that you need and taking the steps that you need to," she said.

People should make HIV testing a part of their annual visit to doctors, Perez said, just as they have their cholesterol checked.

The program also will include information on where people can be tested for HIV and where they can seek services if they are infected.

Most people at today's event know about HIV, said Mwangi James Murage, director of training and evaluation for the Indiana Minority Health Coalition, another sponsor of the program. But they're not necessarily taking proper precautions to protect themselves. That's what organizers hope to change.

"I think most people are aware of it (the disease)," he said. "There is a difference between being aware and being aware to a point where you change your behavior in a specific way."