On National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (March 10), Howard Brown Health (Howard Brown) held a “Claim Your Power: Women and HIV Awareness” panel discussion at their Hyde Park neighborhood location on 55th Street.
The national theme for this year is “Hope, Health, and Healing: Overcoming Barriers to HIV/AIDS Treatment for Women and Girls.” Every March 10, local, state, federal and national organizations partner to provide information about how HIV and AIDS impacts women and girls and support those who are at risk for and living with HIV.
Panelists included Howard Brown Director of Preventive Medicine Dr. Kenya Thomas; Howard Brown Sexual Health Walk-In Provider Nurse Practitioner Janis Robinson; Thrive Peace Poz Founder and CEO Shantell Clinton; Christian Community Health Center Community Health Worker and HIV Screener Ashley Hardaway; and Unique Purpose Inc Founder and CEO Chatrivia Kennedy, with moderation by Howard Brown Associate Director of Community Relations Terra Campbell.
During the panelist introductions, Clinton and Kennedy told the audience that in addition to their advocacy work, they are also living with HIV.
Ahead of the discussion, Campbell said, “Black and Latina women face disproportionate rates of HIV diagnoses. Black women are 15 times more likely than white women and five times more likely than Latina women to be diagnosed with HIV. One in nine women living with HIV do not know their status, reinforcing the urgent need for routine testing. Women with HIV experience higher mortality rates due to late diagnoses and barriers to consistent healthcare access.”
Campbell asked about how stigma impacts women and ways to overcome those barriers.
Thomas said that stigma causes people to put off or avoid doctor visits which means late diagnoses and harmful health outcomes.
Kennedy said there is a fear of being unloved.
Clinton added that some people are still “stuck in 1987” when it comes to their knowledge of HIV and how it is transmitted. As such education outreach about HIV is one of the reasons she started Thrive Peace Poz.
Campbell shared that Howard Brown has partnered with Thrive Peace Poz so the organization will have a place to hold their various support group meetings at Howard Brown’s 63rd Street location.
Another issue is the creation of safe spaces because there is so much stigma around HIV. Hardaway said that for younger people, it is all about how providers present themselves—providers must be confidants whom they can trust.
Campbell asked Robinson about the most effective ways to educate young women about HIV prevention and sexual health.
Robinson said that for some young women, HIV is not their biggest concern, it is other STI’s. She added that she uses those concerns as a pathway to educate them about HIV. Robinson said that people see her as a friendly and open person, and that enables them to talk to her about their health care.
As for how to increase engagement with women of all ages, Kennedy said the key is to hold events where HIV screenings aren’t the only thing that is offered so more people will attend. She also said she is in a serodiscordant relationship where her fiancée is HIV negative and has shared that with people online to spark conversations, so people know that these romantic relationships exist.
Clinton spoke about the social media angle and said that most weeks she has Motivational Mondays on her platforms that focus on dating where she also provides information about HIV.
“When a Black woman changes how she accesses HIV screenings, the entire family will,” said Campbell. “Women also talk to their friends, children and sisters and that is why it is so important to us to reduce stigma to make these conversations comfortable. When you take your children to get their high school physical, let them get an HIV test [so it becomes a regular part of their healthcare routine at a younger age].”
Robinson said she wears her “grandmother hat” to educate young people about HIV.
The conversation also included information about PrEP and what it does to block new transmissions HIV. Robinson asked the audience if they knew about PrEP, and many said no, so Robinson explained how it worked.
Thomas reiterated that education is the key to countering the myths and lies about HIV. She also reminded the audience that people living with HIV are susceptible to certain kinds of cancers, so it is important to get vaginal and anal pap smears, and other rare health conditions. She added that those living with HIV who manage their diagnoses tend to live long, normal and healthy lives.
Hardaway’s message around claiming one’s power was, “Don’t let stigma create fear.”
The panel also stressed the importance of mental health support because many people living with HIV have also been diagnosed with depression and anxiety.
Campbell also spoke about Howard Brown’s partnerships with Brave Space Alliance, Life is Work, Sarah’s Circle, Apna Ghar and The Night Ministry which all assist with HIV outreach and education endeavors.