Is there still a stigma in the Black community when it comes to HIV?
Yes. We still think about HIV as a taboo issue, instead of thinking of it as a chronic disease that is 100 percent manageable and treatable as long as you’re on medications and you go to the doctor, just like any other chronic disease. I think some of the things we can do is address the issue of lack of access for Brown and Black people. [In] Georgia, in particular, we didn’t expand Medicaid, so you [have] 800,000 people who could have been on a Medicaid program just due to their income and get access to health care.
What are some call to action items?
Everybody should get tested. Everybody should know their HIV status. If you are having sex, you are at risk and therefore should know your status. You should make it a part of your routine.
Get involved with organizations.
Spread [information] within your own circle. People need to learn about what tools they have available to them to prevent HIV.
Registration for the Paradigm Shift Summit 2.0 is $100, which includes parking, food and access to invaluable information from speakers including Tené Lewis, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology in the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University; Gail Wyatt, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist, sex therapist and professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at UCLA; health scientist and educator Imani Ma’at, Ed.D.; legendary feminist and activist Angela Davis; and keynote speaker Stacey Abrams.
For more information www.paradigmshiftconference.org.
