NAACP Tackles African American HIV/AIDS Crisis
March 29, 2011Endeavor Galvanizes Epidemic as a Civil Rights and Faith Issue
(WASHINGTON) – The NAACP issues a call to action to the faith community to champion the importance of HIV testing and prevention in their respective congregations and communities.
NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous
“We need to acknowledge that, in America, health is a true civil right. It is essential that we enlist leaders from every corner of society to fight back against a disease that is devastating our community,” said Benjamin Todd Jealous, President and CEO of the NAACP. “Normalizing the conversation about HIV/AIDS in our churches is critical to reducing the stigma, making testing a routine part of health care visits and ensuring those who test positive receive medical care earlier – all of which can curb the spread of this disease.”
“Dialogue with the Black Church” is part of NAACP’s ongoing two-year national initiative to address the disparate impact of HIV/AIDS in the African American community. The program will create a strategic roadmap for faith leaders to follow in helping to reduce the spread of HIV throughout his or her community. Key components include:
- In-depth assessments of the barriers and challenges faith leaders face in trying to effectively educate their congregations on HIV testing and prevention. Research to include interviews, surveys and focus groups among faith leaders in highly-impacted communities.
- Toolkits with practical, action-oriented steps, as well as best practices to shape services currently offered within communities as well as to serve as a springboard for those who may want to initiate these services.
- Personal accounts from community champions.
- Technical assistance to ensure local faith leaders can effectively implement the recommended strategies that are in line with their communities.
- New HIV-focused content and blogs on the NAACP website.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), African Americans represent 13% of the U.S. population but account for more than half of all new HIV diagnoses. 1 in 30 Black women and 1 in 16 Black men will be infected with HIV in their lifetime. One in five HIV-positive Americans – close to a quarter of a million people – have yet to be diagnosed. Alarmingly, African Americans make up the majority of the undiagnosed. Evidence shows that individuals who are unaware of their HIV status are more likely to transmit HIV and less likely to access care and treatment that could improve their quality of life. Additionally, many are diagnosed late in the course of the disease when treatment is less effective. The CDC cite the reasons for the racial disparity as not just related to race, but rather to barriers faced by many African Americans. These barriers include poverty, access to healthcare, and the social stigma associated with HIV/AIDS.
The NAACP maintains a legacy of serving as a voice for persons unheard and underserved, and is therefore committed to its role as an agent of change in the domestic HIV/AIDS crisis. Faith leadership can play a critical role in changing the course of HIV/AIDS diverse communities, by reaching those who need a voice – those who are unaware of their status and those who do not think they are at risk.
Support for the initiative is provided by Gilead Sciences, Inc. Additional information can be found at http://www.naacp.org/programs/entry/health-programs
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Silence Isn’t Golden: A Call for Community Discussion about HIV/AIDS in Women
Let’s talk about sex. No, not the Salt ‘N’ Pepa hit from the 1990s. As a Black Community, especially black women, we need to have an honest discussion about what really happens behind our closed doors. Two weeks ago, I turned twenty-five. While I am thankful to have lived for quarter of a century, it is sobering to know that 83.8 percent of women in my age group (25-34) attributed contracting HIV through heterosexual contact in 2008. It is even more disconcerting to note that Black/African American women had the highest percentage (87 percent) of HIV transmission through heterosexual contact .These statistics are staggering. It is time to ring the alarm. Our silence here is not golden.
Raising Black Girls in the Age of HIV/AIDS:
In honor of the 30th commemoration of HIV/AIDS, the NAACP has launched a blogging campaigning entitled HIV/AIDS at 30. It will feature blogs and video posts from the NAACP staff, leadership, members, and partners on various topics that affect the black community. Each month we will have a new topic. March is Women and Girls month and two of our Act Against Aids Initiative (AAALI) partners, Black Women’s Health Imperative‘s President and CEO, Eleanor Hilton Hoytt and the National Council of Negro Women’s, Executive Director Dr. Avis Jones- DeWeever have written articles to shed light on a disease that is claiming the lives of so many black women.
Claiming Our Power in the Fight Against AIDS
I sat before the room dumbfounded. Surrounding me were brilliant, beautiful, driven, and successful young women. Each high achievers in their own right. Each on the verge of certain success. Yet, these young women who had originally come to my office to discuss transversing that critical, but sometimes scary path of transitioning from undergraduate education to the rest of their lives, had seemingly only one thing at the top of their minds, “Will I ever find love?”