The Black Church Can’t Fight HIV Without Confronting Its Past

Jennifer Porter Gore, Word in Black

HIV remains a serious public health crisis, with Black people accounting for about 40% of people living with HIV despite representing just 12% of the U.S. population. Stigma and societal norms continue to derail vital conversations around the epidemic — a public health crisis that has disproportionately impacted Black communities for more than 40 years.

But confronting sexually transmitted infections is still a touchy topic — and even more so within Black faith communities. The relationship between faith communities and HIV advocates has evolved dramatically, marking some progress during the four decades of the epidemic. What began as fear, misunderstanding and, at times, outright rejection has transformed into a movement of compassion, healing and advocacy within many faith communities. 

RELATED: Centering Black Women and Girls in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS

Pioneering faith-based organizations such as The Balm in Gilead Inc., of Richmond, Virginia, were founded to provide education and advocacy tools for faith- and community-based organizations working to prevent disease and improve health outcomes among those they serve. Today, thousands of congregations across the United States serve as vital links in the HIV care continuum, providing everything from testing and counseling to housing and spiritual support for people living with HIV. 

That legacy of advocacy took center stage recently when experts, advocates and supporters gathered at the National Association of Black Journalists Convention for a panel discussion titled “Separation of Church & Sex: Faith and the Fight Against HIV.” The panel was presented by ViiV Healthcare, the only pharmaceutical company 100% dedicated to HIV.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Nikole Hannah-Jones moderated the panel, opening the discussion with a call to break the silence that has long surrounded the epidemic.

The original article talks about the cost of silence and what we can do.

Learn about one man who is helping Black churches become more welcoming.

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