*Stigma. Racism. Economic inequity. These are just some of the reasons why Black Americans account for a higher proportion of new HIV diagnoses.
Health disparities in the Black community run deep, and since the start of the epidemic more than four decades ago, Black people have been disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS.
Our community lives with the negative impacts of this disease more than any other racial or ethnic group in the United States, despite incredible advances in treatment and care.
National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (February 7) provides a moment in time to reflect on the unique issues we face that fuel the impact of HIV on the Black community.
But it’s more than just thinking about how far we’ve come and how much more we need to do.
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It’s about our commitment – to increasing HIV education and access to testing and treatment to ease this burden that continues to weigh us down.
And it’s about change. Traditional methods of communication about HIV just don’t work and have failed to create an empowering narrative that reflects the diverse, complex experiences of Black people and spurs the community to action.
ViiV Healthcare believes that if we can put an end to the stigma, we can put an end to HIV. As the only pharmaceutical company solely focused on combating, preventing and, ultimately, curing HIV and AIDS, ViiV Healthcare is meeting people where they are, as they are, by supporting community programs and cultural initiatives that help close gaps in care. These programs are focused and localized, aiming to sound the alarm around HIV treatment and prevention within the Black community in ways that focus on real people, real images, and real stories.
These include Being Seen, a podcast that explores the role of Black culture in resolving the tension between how we are seen and how we see ourselves, and Risk to Reasons, an initiative that is supporting innovative, forward-thinking community collaborations to increase awareness and action around HIV prevention for Black women of cis and trans experience. It’s also a rallying call for communicators, health providers, advocates, policymakers, and researchers to challenge the current framework and the way it positions the relationship between Black women and HIV.
Awareness of HIV/AIDS in the Black community is about more than just an awareness day. It’s about coming together to learn more and fight stigma and discrimination so we can have open and honest conversations about our sexual health. It’s about being our real selves and coming together as a community to be the catalyst for long-term change and success in ending the HIV epidemic once and for all.
To learn more about resources created for – and with – the Black community to end HIV, visit https://viivhealthcare.com/en-us/ending-hiv/viivs-initiative/.
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