Each February, America celebrates the invaluable contributions that the African-American community has made to the culture and history of our nation. Black History Month is a time to study and reflect on the collective history of our community. It’s an important marker for a community that historically has been subject to discrimination and prejudice, and has overcome great challenges on the road to equality.
It is also important to acknowledge some of the struggles that still confront us. Among the most significant challenges today is the alarming and disproportionate rate of HIV infection among black Americans. While only representing 14 percent of the U.S. population, blacks account for 44 percent of all new HIV infections, according to the most recent information collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2009. We are the most disproportionately impacted racial/ethnic group across all sub-populations (men, women, youth, men who have sex with men, known as MSM) in the U.S. at all stages of the disease — from new infections to deaths.
Combating health disparities is at the core of Mazzoni Center’s mission. Our history as an organization is deeply interwoven with the history of the AIDS crisis. As the disease has evolved, so has our approach to prevention, testing and treatment. We work closely with the CDC and the Health Department here in Philadelphia to ensure that our approaches are reflective of the latest data and are reaching the people who are at the greatest risk.
In February 2012, it is safe to say that men of color who have sex with men are our highest priority when it comes to fighting HIV/AIDS. We know that MSM represent more than half of new HIV infections in the U.S.; within that group, CDC and local data tell us that MSM of color are infected at highly disproportionate rates. From July 1, 2010-June 30, 2011, Mazzoni Center tested nearly 5,500 individuals for HIV; about 2,800 of them identified as MSM and 1,100 were MSM of color. The overall positive rate for MSM was 2.98 percent but, when you break it down to MSM of color, the rate was an alarming 4.75 percent. The situation is even more critical for young MSM of color (aged 24 and under). This tells us we have a serious public-health challenge we need to address.
February 7 is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, a national HIV testing and treatment community mobilization initiative, with organizers planning activities and events in thousands of locales around the U.S. Mazzoni Center will offer free rapid testing at our Washington West location, 1201 Locust St., from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. and at Community College of Philadelphia, 17th and Spring Garden streets, from noon-6 p.m. on our mobile testing unit. We encourage everyone, but especially men of color, to get tested as a first step toward taking charge of their health. Statistics tells us that people who know their HIV status are much more likely to seek the medical care they need, which dramatically improves their health outcomes, and to take steps to protect their sexual partners and prevent further infections.
Beyond Feb. 7, Mazzoni Center has a number of programs and prevention efforts targeted to men of color. For young men ages 13-24 we have a long-running monthly workshop series — formerly known as “Many Men, Many Voices” — which we recently re-launched as “H.Y.P.E.” (Helping Youth through Prevention Education). H.Y.P.E. reaches out to young MSM of color and provides a safe space for them to talk candidly and constructively about identity, community and individual risk reduction.
More than a dozen young people each month participate in H.Y.P.E., which consists of three days of intensive discussion-based workshops. We talk with them about the factors that contribute to their risk, including social stigma and homophobia, racism, poverty and lack of access to health care. As one of our recent participants said, “There’s a lot of stigma around being a young black male, and gay.” Our goal with H.Y.P.E. is not just to provide positive, affirming messages for these youth, but to help create a sense of community, to educate and empower young men of color to take ownership of their health and their futures.
For adult MSM of color, Mazzoni Center offers The Real Impact Project, also known as TRIP. The program specifically targets black MSM as well as black transwomen who have sex with men, and is based on a social network strategy, which recognizes the importance of peer influence in impacting behavior. Through TRIP, we work to engage individual “recruiters” who will advocate for testing within their group of friends or social network. Our goal is to find people who have undiagnosed HIV infections, and link those individuals to resources and quality health care. And for those who are negative and still engaging in risky behaviors, we provide them with a referral to other prevention services to help them reduce their HIV/STD infection risk.
TRIP recruitment meetings are held every second and fourth Wednesday of the month from 7-8:30 p.m. at Washington West Project, 1201 Locust St. We provide a program orientation and twice-monthly check-ins, making sure the recruiter/advocates have a space to talk about barriers and challenges within their particular communities.
In both of these programs, we’ve seen that creating a sense of community makes a difference. Particularly among the young MSM who attend our H.Y.P.E. sessions, there is a hunger for connection and belonging. It’s hard enough being part of one minority community, but when you compound this with a second set of circumstances — whether it be sexual orientation, gender identity or anything else — that places you outside of the norm, the social pressures and the sense of isolation can be overwhelming.
This need for support and connection is also expressed by adult men of color who come to us through TRIP. Many of them talk about the stigma around homosexuality in their neighborhoods and communities, and the reluctance to talk about things like HIV. So a big part of our work is to help normalize these conversations, to open up a space for these men to have an honest dialogue, ask questions, share their stories and voice their fears, frustrations and victories.
At Mazzoni Center, we recognize there are many factors that influence someone’s behavior, health and sense of self-identity. The reality is that, even in 2012, many MSM of color face an extra burden of racial discrimination, cultural barriers to health care and social stigma related to their sexual orientation or behavior. Through educating our community about the risks of HIV infection, engaging individuals to act as agents of positive change and empowering them to take control of their health and well-being, we can begin to address this health crisis that is threatening too many of our brothers (and sisters).
National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is a good reminder of the work that needs to be done to reach these goals, not just on Feb. 7 but throughout the year.
For a full list of locations offering free HIV testing on Feb. 7, go to www.nationalblackaidsday.org.
To learn more about TRIP or how you can get involved, contact me at 215-563-0652 or [email protected].
For more information about H.Y.P.E., contact Christopher Collins at [email protected].
Abdul-Aliy Muhammad is the community health recruitment coordinator at Mazzoni Center, the region’s only LGBT-specific health-care center.
