RICHMOND, Va. -- The Richmond-Henrico Health District is drawing attention to February 7, known as National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, now being recognized in its 25th year.
Qadira Stewart, who supervises community health work with RHHD, said based on national data, the disease is known to be found in America's Black population at a higher rate compared to other groups, due to years of discrimination, lack of access to appropriate and affordable health care, and mistrust in the health care system.
According to CDC data from 2019, out of everyone who was diagnosed with HIV that year, 40% of those diagnosed were Black.
It's something Stewart and others at the health district want others to know about.
“We want to amplify the dialogue around HIV and AIDS," Stewart said. "So, let's talk about it. Mention it more. Schools, amongst our communities. Improve education."
Stewart says you can see the effects right here in Richmond.
“In Richmond alone, we find that due to redlining, as well as segregation, history that we have in Richmond, Black people do not always get healthcare, as well as the fact that they don’t always have access," Stewart said.
Community partners like Nationz Foundation in Henrico try to bridge gaps by offering HIV testing, treatment and prevention services, as well as transportation and even free food to those in need.
“There have been monumental strides in the work around HIV prevention but there’s still stigma that we’re fighting every single day," said Troy Kershaw, PreP Coordinator with Nationz Foundation. "And so organizations like Nationz have really strengthened our efforts around prevention and education so that folks understand that there is a guiding light and there is a light at the end of the tunnel.”
Despite the data, there's one thing both Kershaw and Stewart want people to know.
“There is no face to HIV. We do not know what HIV looks like. But the reality of it is, there are individuals who are living everyday, fighting this fight to live and because of the monumental strides that we’ve made in HIV prevention, folks are living healthier and longer than they’ve ever done in the past 40 years," Kershaw said.
“HIV affects everyone. It doesn’t just affect the person that’s infected. It affects everybody. Your families, your community, everybody," Stewart said.
More information on STI/HVI services provided by RHHD can be found here.
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