• Equality
  • Community
    • Health
    • Youth
    • Seniors
  • Voices
    • From the CEO
    • Take Five
    • Why I Give
  • About the Center
  • Galleries
  • Calendar
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending
  • 2nd Annual Sabor de Mi Centro Block Party Boogies in Boyle Heights
  • Senior Prom Celebrates 25th Anniversary
  • “Solidarity Forever”: Montana State Rep. Zooey Zephyr at Trans Town Hall
  • “We Are Immense, and We Are Abundant”: Trans Pride LA Organizer Gina Bigham Looks Back on a Decade-Plus of Highlights and the Biggest Trans Pride Yet
  • Trans Actors, Athletes, and Activists Celebrate Community and Solidarity at First-Ever Trans Town Hall
  • “My Crown Is Paid For”: 12 Center Portraits of Juneteenth
  • House of Avalon, Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Join Center Staff and Supporters for LA Pride: “F*ck the Margins. We’re the Center.”
  • This Year’s AIDS/LifeCycle Participants on Why They Ride
Twitter Facebook Instagram YouTube
LGBT News Now
Learn about career opportunities at the Center
  • Equality
  • Community
    • Health
    • Youth
    • Seniors
  • Voices
    • From the CEO
    • Take Five
    • Why I Give
  • About the Center
  • Galleries
  • Calendar
LGBT News Now
You are at:Home»Community»Health»The Fight Is Not Over: National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

The Fight Is Not Over: National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

0
By on November 24, 2018 Health

By Greg Hernandez

Without intervention, one in two black gay and bisexual men will acquire HIV in their lifetime, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Kevin, a Los Angeles-based musician in his 50s, never thought he’d be one of them. Now, six years after finding out he is HIV-positive, he desperately wants others to avoid infection. That’s why he is spreading the word about National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.

The February 7 awareness day was founded in 1999 as a national response to the growing HIV and AIDS epidemic in African American communities. This year’s theme is “Stay the Course, the Fight is Not Over!”

“Do all you can do to stay safe,” warns Kevin, who regularly attends meetings of the the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Positive Images support group. “Even though HIV is not necessarily a death sentence, it can be if not handled correctly. Stop putting your life at risk. Stay safe and stay strong.”

Positive Images is a free drop-in group is for HIV-positive gay and bisexual men ranging from the newly diagnosed to long-term survivors.

“It was an eye opener,” says Kevin who attended his first meeting three days after being diagnosed. “I was concerned my appearance would change, that I’d lose too much weight and look like I was dying. I had these pre-conceived notions. I was afraid of people with HIV, I didn’t want to be around them or touch them.”

Such pre-conceived notions and a lack of awareness about such HIV prevention medications as PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and PEP (post-exposure prohylaxis) are among the reasons why the Center is focused on promoting healthcare engagement and reducing HIV and STI (Sexually Transmitted Infection) risk among young gay and bi men of color.

Armed with a $750,000 annual grant from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, the Center has partnered with Bienstar, Children’s Hospital, and the Wall Las Memorias in its efforts.

“We want to make sure that people of color know that the Center is a place for them and this is a place where they can feel at home,” says Victoria Alexander, a Center health education specialist. “For someone who is HIV positive, the sooner they get their medication, the sooner they can become undetectable so they will not spread HIV.”

A New Frontier: Sex Party Promoters

Among the new initiatives is working with sex party promoters and the escorting community in Los Angeles to increase knowledge and conversations about preventing the spread of HIV.

“It’s important to look within the demographic and seek people out,” says Darnell Green, the Center’s manager of health education and prevention services. “We want to engage the promoters in harm reduction and health education – make sure they know about PEP and PrEP, addiction recovery, HIV testing. We want them to be able to educate other people in their environment and provide them with literature, cards, condoms.”

Green says there is a lot of stigma and taboos that might prevent the kinds of conversations about safe sex that might occur in West Hollywood from happening in, for example, Inglewood.

“It’s unfortunate many people are oblivious to options like PrEP and PEP and aren’t talking about them with friends,” he says. “We know unprotected sex is happening but no one wants to admit they are having it.”

Educating Youth About HIV

As part of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, the Center’s Community Health Program is focusing on awareness among the Center’s youth members. It will include information on the Center’s sexual health programs including Rapid Start PrEP, which allows HIV-negative individuals to walk-in and walk-out with same-day PrEP.

“It’s important to understand that for the homeless youth, HIV is not number one on their list. Shelter, food, and survival are the most important things for them,” says Brian Toynes, associate director of the Center’s Community Health Programs. “Bringing awareness of HIV is very important to keeping and maintaining their health and improving their health and health outcomes.”

The Center offers free, fast, and comprehensive testing for HIV and other STIs.

A rapid HIV test has results in less than a minute and there is a test available to detect HIV as early as seven days after exposure.

Should you test positive for HIV or any other STIs, immediate care and treatment is available at the Center, which encourages sexually active people to get tested every three months. Visit freetesting.org for more information about testing and PrEP services.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

Related Posts

Mpox Resurgence: What You Should Know

Dispensing Culturally Competent Care: The Center’s Patient-Centric Pharmacy Does Much More Than Fill Prescriptions

Los Angeles LGBT Center Joins Forces with Anti-Violence Organizations to Spearhead National Institute Addressing LGBTQ Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence

Comments are closed.

Upcoming Events

  • There are no upcoming events.
About Us

LGBT News Now

LGBT News Now is a publication of the Los Angeles LGBT Center. Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2019, the Center is the largest LGBT organization in the world, dedicated to building a world where LGBT thrive as healthy, equal, and complete members of society. Learn more at lalgbtcenter.org.

Follow Us on Instagram

lalgbtcenter

The Los Angeles LGBT Center is building a world where LGBT people thrive as healthy, equal, and complete members of society.

Los Angeles LGBT Center
Your weekly dose of #QueerJoy. *hits play on my Be Your weekly dose of #QueerJoy. *hits play on my Berkeley Spotify Wrapped playlist again* 🤣🫶🏾🥰
Every year on December 1, people come together to Every year on December 1, people come together to commemorate #WorldAIDSDay— paying tribute to those we’ve lost to HIV/AIDS while fighting to end stigma. @fableticsscrubs is proud to uplift and outfit the unsung heroes, the providers extending culturally competent care year round through The Center’s Health Services. Know your status by booking a testing appointment today at lalgbtcenter.org
Surprise, surprise! Meet and greet drag superstar Surprise, surprise! Meet and greet drag superstar #Valentina this Friday (Dec. 1) as we honor  #WorldAIDSDay with a FREE rooftop reception supporting AIDS/LifeCycle in partnership with the #LosAngeles Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Space is limited, so RSVP today with the link in bio! #DragRaceMexico
Did you know there’s a morning-after pill for ST Did you know there’s a morning-after pill for STIs? #DoxyPEP, the use of the antibiotic doxycycline to prevent transmission of syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea, is now available at the Los Angeles LGBT Center. Visit lalgbtcenter.org/doxy to book your appointment online now—no calls, no wait time—so you can start your morning right. 📷 @chrissalvatore
It’s Giving Tuesday Live with @gwynethpaltrow, @ It’s Giving Tuesday Live with @gwynethpaltrow, @camerondiaz and @katya_zamo 💜 visit lalgbtcenter.org to pledge your support today! Proceeds lift housing services for LGBTQ+ youth and seniors, and are MATCHED by our partner @usbank 🌈
Everyone deserves a place to stay. This #GivingTue Everyone deserves a place to stay. This #GivingTuesday, your dollars go to support the Center’s housing services for LGBTQ+ people. Tap that donate button to give today.
This Giving Tuesday, tune in to see Gwyneth in con This Giving Tuesday, tune in to see Gwyneth in conversation with the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Phillip Picardi, and learn more about how the Center creates a safe, welcoming space for the LGBTQ+ community.
 
Watch the event live on our Instagram on November 28th at 11 a.m. PT. #GivingTuesday
 
Find more information about the Center and donate below.
[lalgbtcenter.org/donate]
Moments of #QueerJoy that made me cackle this Than Moments of #QueerJoy that made me cackle this Thanksgiving weekend 🤦🏾‍♂️🤣💜
#OnThisDay in 1991, Freddie Mercury tragically pas #OnThisDay in 1991, Freddie Mercury tragically passed due to complications related to HIV/AIDS. His death came just 24 hours after his diagnosis was announced to the public. At the time, Mercury’s memory was tarnished in the press—in no small part due to the stigma attached to the virus. Now, decades later, he is more appropriately remembered for being a musical and cultural legend, as well as a queer icon. Next week, we will be honoring those we’ve lost at a vigil for World AIDS Day, presided over by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Join us by RSVPing at the link in bio. (h/t @nycaidsmemorial; photos via @freddiemercury)
Load More... Follow on Instagram
Stay Connected
Subscribe
Copyright © 2022 Los Angeles LGBT Center
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy
  • Contact Us

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.