HIV/AIDS continues to disproportionately impact African-American and Hispanic communities, and in an effort to spread awareness and to educate the public about the disease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and The First Ladies Health Initiative recently kicked off “Doing It,” a CDC campaign focused on HIV and AIDS awareness.
The campaign was unveiled at New Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church in Inglewood on Dec. 12. The CDC selected representatives from The First Ladies Health Initiative in Los Angeles and Orange County for a national digital and print campaign that will include outdoor billboards, newspapers and magazines. The CDC campaign will focus on promoting HIV awareness and testing. A poster of the campaign featuring four of the first ladies was unveiled to enthusiastic applause.
The First Ladies Health Initiative is comprised of 155 pastors’ wives from Los Angeles, Orange County, Cincinnati, northwest Indiana and Chicago. Chaired by Dr. Betty Price, the First Lady of the Crenshaw Christian Center, The First Ladies have committed themselves to educating their congregations and communities about HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention as well as other health disparities.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas has also been instrumental in supporting the Initiative.
Tracey Alston, executive director of The First Ladies Health Initiative, said that HIV infections of African American and Latina women continue to rise. “We are trying to empower women about the risk through the importance of screening,” she said, adding that Walgreens and its director of community affairs, John Gremer, have been instrumental in funding and supporting the First Ladies Health Initiative.
Alston added that the campaign will focus on getting more people tested, especially church members and community residents. “African American people have had a long tradition of not going to the doctor, so to have health screenings and testing available at the churches lets them know that there is nothing to be afraid of,” she pointed out. “What will be especially helpful is that the First Ladies and pastors will be demonstrating HIV screenings and urging their congregations to get tested.”
“The numbers are creeping up on us,” said Mia Shegog-Whitlock, chief operating officer and First Lady at Christ Our Redeemer AME Church in Irvine about the rise of HIV and AIDS in the Black community. “We in the African American community have become complacent about HIV and AIDS. Blacks account for 44 percent of infections nationally, even though we represent 13 percent of the population, so the first ladies of the church have to step up and make sure our congregations and communities get tested. You can’t act if you don’t know.”
“It’s great that the church has been given a platform and an opportunity to make a difference with HIV and AIDS,” observed first lady Rinnita Thompson of Southern/St. Paul Church in Los Angeles, who added that eighty-four percent of infections contracted by Black women are derived from heterosexual contact. She said that many women are unaware of their partners’ risk factors. “The church has the power to help our members and community to become more aware and to help destigmatize the myths about AIDS and HIV.”
Thompson added that those who have been diagnosed with the disease should not be discouraged. “God still loves a person even if they’ve been infected by HIV and AIDS—the church does not exclude anyone.”
Mironda Lewis, First Lady of New Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church, said that statistics on HIV and AIDS continue to disproportionately affect the senior population. “People aged 50 or older have many of the same HIV risk factors as young adults, but they may be less aware of their risk,” said Lewis, who added a significant percent of new AIDS diagnoses and a large percent of those who die from the disease are older Americans.
“Older people are sexually active, even those living with HIV,” Lewis pointed out. “Many are widowed or divorced and have begun dating again, and they may be less aware of their risks than younger people. Older women also don’t have to worry about becoming pregnant and may be less likely to ask their partners to use a condom,” she observed.
“I think it (HIV and AIDS) is all over our community,” said Aundrae Russell, program director at KJLH-FM radio who moderated the event. “Although people have been talking about it, they are still not educated enough. You don’t hear about HIV and AIDS like you did in years past. It’s like folks have forgotten about it.”
In addition to speeches delivered by the First Ladies about AIDS and HIV prevention, the event offered free health screenings for men and women.
“It’s a blessing to be able to include the congregation and the community on a combined effort of health,” said First Lady Glenda Goree of Faithful Service Missionary Baptist Church.
“It’s exciting that this event is occurring and that it is giving the community a chance to be tested,” added Regina Taylor, First Lady at Park Winsor Baptist Church.
Alston said that during the Walgreens-sponsored First Ladies Health Day to be held in Los Angeles on April 10, 2016, Biolitical Laboratories has promised that for every free HIV test taken that day, they will donate a free test to the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation in South Africa. They have committed to a minimum of 1,000 tests.
Despite the increase in HIV and AIDS, more medicines are available to effectively prevent HIV transmission and acquisition than ever before.
For more information about The First Ladies Health Initiative, visit www.firstladieshealth.com.
