Rev. William Francis

Campaign Continues to Recruit Faith Leaders in Battling HIV Epidemic

Cora Jackson-Fossett, Religion EditorAugust 9, 2017

100+ L.A. area churches join effort to position HIV as a social justice issue HIV/AIDS and faith may be an unlikely pairing to some, but the reality is that African American believers and non-believers alike are impacted by the disease. According to the Los Angeles County Department of Health, more than 49,000 people in the L.A. area are living with HIV. The rate of Black males infected with the virus is 2.5 times that of White males and the rate of Black females is 9.2 times that of White females. In Los Angeles, heterosexual contact accounted for 15% of new diagnoses

Religion

Black Church Urged to Join Fight Against HIV/AIDS

Cora Jackson-Fossett (Religion Editor)April 21, 2016

A new initiative is underway to enlist the faith community in combatting the rise of HIV/AIDS among African Americans in Los Angeles. The campaign, entitled The Black Church & HIV, aims to establish a network of faith leaders, religious institutions, and community members committed to making change and ending the HIV epidemic. Positioning HIV as a social justice issue, advocates insist that faith leaders are trusted community educators who can address the inequities and stigma surrounding the disease. “In the health care system, there are higher rates of mortality and there is a lower quantity and quality of health