* Despite great strides in HIV prevention and care in the past decade, HIV is still a problem in the Black community. It’s a problem that can’t be ignored. P.J. Moton-Poole is working to end HIV in the Black Community.
The recently released Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) HIV Surveillance Report shows that most new HIV cases in 2021 were among gay and bisexual men, the majority of whom were Black or Hispanic/Latino. About one-fifth of new HIV cases in 2021 were among women, and over half of those were among Black women.
Moton-Poole’s Work at ViiV Healthcare
P.J. Moton-Poole, Senior Manager of External Affairs at ViiV Healthcare, has worked in public health for over 16 years. He serves communities by developing culturally-relevant programs that provide HIV education, address stigma, and helps improve access to prevention and care services.
“As a queer Black man living with HIV, I bring a unique perspective to this role because I’ve faced the same struggles of many of the people and communities we serve,” Moton-Poole says. “I help translate the needs of communities impacted by HIV to ensure ViiV’s programs and initiatives are reflective of those needs and effective in meaningfully addressing HIV in these communities.”
ViiV Healthcare is the only pharmaceutical company solely focused on combating, preventing, and ultimately, curing HIV and AIDS. By elevating the voices and experiences of people like Moton-Poole, ViiV is working to raise awareness about HIV and reduce the stigma associated with it. Moton-Poole helps guide and shape several initiatives created with, and for, the Black community:
- The accelerate Initiative is ViiV’s commitment to improving the health and wellness of Black gay, bisexual, queer, and trans men by supporting community-driven solutions that address HIV stigma increasing their access and participation in HIV-related programs.
- Risk to Reasons, geared towards cis and trans-Black women, aims to increase awareness and action around HIV prevention by centering desire, intimacy, and pleasure – as real reasons for self-care and prevention.
- Being Seen podcast features stories from the Black experience and dives into how our identities can cause a strain between how we are seen, and how we see ourselves, with hosts Darnell Moore and Anika Noni Rose.
- Mother to Son, inspired by Langston Hughes’ famous poem, highlights the value of maternal support surrounding Black and Latino gay, bisexual, trans, and queer men as an essential network of support for getting men engaged in, re-engaged in, or retained in HIV prevention and care services.
Together, these programs aim to inspire open discussions about HIV among Black people and promote the urgency to address the impact on Black communities.
“The key to ending HIV in Black communities is meeting people where they are with the information they need,” says Moton-Poole. “ViiV’s cultural programs aim to combat HIV stigma, which has held us back for too long. We want people living with HIV and those with reasons for prevention to talk more freely about their sexual health and engage in resources and services that best fit their needs.”
Learn more about ViiV Healthcare’s cultural initiatives.
References:
- Monitoring Selected National HIV Prevention and Care Objectives by Using HIV Surveillance Data—United States and 6 Dependent Areas, 2021. Published May 23, 2023. Accessed July 17, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/library/reports/hiv-surveillance/vol-28-no-4/index.html
MORE NEWS ON EURweb: Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: Why the Black Community Must Keep Fighting HIV
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