FAQ’S

Health equity means that everyone has a fair opportunity to live a long, healthy life. It implies that health should not be compromised or disadvantaged because of an individual or population group’s race, ethnicity, gender, income, sexual orientation, neighborhood or other social condition. Health equity is important because everyone deserves a fair chance to lead a healthy life. No one should be denied this chance because of who they are or their socio-economic opportunities.

There are great disparities in health, access to quality health care, and insurance coverage due to race and socioeconomic status in the United States.  According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Black people receive lower quality health care than Whites and have poorer health outcomes across disease areas.  Within the context of HIV, health equity means that instead of an individual’s health outcome being determined by his or her employment status, income level, and/or ZIP code, the individual is provided with the same fair opportunities (i.e. access to HIV testing, treatment, and support) as their counterparts to live a long, healthy life. Through advocacy efforts, The Black Church & HIV initiative augmented the political voices of Black communities as they pertain to the policies that affect health equity and access to HIV prevention, testing, and linkage to care.

Health disparities are differences in the presence of disease, health outcomes, or access to health care between population groups. They are a particular type of health difference that is closely linked with social, economic, and/or environmental disadvantage. Health disparities adversely affect groups of people who have systematically experienced greater obstacles to health, based on their racial or ethnic group; religion; socioeconomic status; gender; age; mental health; cognitive, sensory, or physical disability; sexual orientation or gender identity; geographic location; or other characteristics historically linked to discrimination or exclusion.

The World Health Organization defines social determinants of health as “complex, integrated, and overlapping social structures and economic systems that include the social environment, physical environment, and health services; [the] structural and societal factors that are responsible for most health inequities. Social determinants of health are shaped by the distribution of money, power and resources at global, national, and local levels, which are themselves influenced by policy choices.”

Where we live, learn, work and play has a tremendous impact on our health. While going to the doctor and receiving medical care are essential for detecting and curing illness, access to health care can only account for 10 to 15 percent of preventable deaths. Social factors such as housing, education, income and employment greatly influence the health and quality of life in neighborhoods and communities. These social factors, generally referred to as the social determinants of health, determine whether or not individuals have parks and playgrounds to exercise, supermarkets to buy fresh and affordable fruits and vegetables, job opportunities to support their families, and other resources that allow them to be healthy. While it is definitely important for us to encourage people to make healthy choices, we must remember that people can only make healthy choices if they have healthy options.

On average, African Americans experience worse health outcomes than other racial and ethnic groups. More African Americans are diagnosed with HIV and more likely to die from HIV/AIDS than any other race. Many studies have suggested a link between experiences of racism and worse health outcomes. Whether it takes the form of overt discrimination or structural disadvantage, racism continues to influence how people are treated, what resources and jobs are available, where they are likely to live, how they perceive the world and their place in it, what environmental exposures they face, and what chances they have to reach their full potential. Important policies to address racism and its impact on health include more equitable school funding, better enforcement of anti-discrimination laws, housing mobility programs, better transportation, affirmative action, tax policy and land use, as well as economic revitalization, business investment, and wealth accumulation in communities of color.

Social justice is the equitable distribution of social, economic and political resources, opportunities, and responsibilities and their consequences. It affects the way people live, their chance of illness, and their risk of premature death. Social justice is the sustained commitment to create a society based on equality and fairness for all people. It calls for fair and equal treatment of the “haves” and the “have not’s.” The social justice movement is centered on fighting all forms of oppression, discrimination, and disenfranchisement. It calls for systemic change of governments, policies, and practices that empower all people to live healthy and productive lives. Health equity means social justice in health (i.e., no one is denied the possibility to be healthy for belonging to a group that has historically been economically/socially disadvantaged).

Strengthening health equity requires going beyond just the immediate causes of disease, but exploring the causes of the causes of disease. Health equity is achieved when every person has the opportunity to attain his or her full health potential and no one is disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of social position or other socially determined circumstances.

Yes, HIV has a significant impact on the Black community in the U.S. Here are a few key facts:

• In 2017, African Americans made up 13 percent of the U.S. population but accounted for 42 percent of people living with diagnosed HIV.
• In 2017, the rate of new HIV infection among African Americans was 8 times higher than that of white men and 15 times higher than that of white women based on population size.
• In 2016, the HIV diagnosis rate for African American women was almost 5 times higher than that of Latino women.
• In 2017, Black men accounted for 37 percent of all new HIV diagnoses among gay and bisexual men.
• In 2017, African Americans in the South accounted for 53 percent of all new HIV diagnoses in the region.
• Blacks are more likely to become infected, less likely to get treatment, less likely to know they have the disease, and more likely to die from HIV and AIDS than any other race.

Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that can lead to acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or AIDS.

HIV is no longer a death sentence. It is now considered to be a chronic, manageable condition, similar to diabetes or hypertension. With proper care and treatment, people living with HIV can live long and healthy lives.

People living with HIV may appear and feel healthy for several years. However, even if they feel healthy, HIV still affects their bodies. The only way to know if you have HIV is to take an HIV test. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial to ensuring that an HIV-positive person has a long and productive life. HIV testing is available in hospitals, clinics, and communities, as well as through dedicated testing centers across the country.

To locate an HIV testing center near you, visit  https://aidsvu.org/services/#/.

African Americans face a number of challenges that contribute to  higher rates of HIV infection. The greater number of people living with HIV (prevalence) in African American communities and the fact that African Americans tend to have sex with partners of the same race/ethnicity means that they face a greater risk of HIV infection with each new sexual encounter.

The poverty rate is higher among African Americans than other racial/ethnic groups. The socioeconomic issues associated with poverty – including limited access to high-quality health care, housing, and HIV prevention education – directly and indirectly increase the risk for HIV infection, and affect the health of people living with and at risk for HIV. Stigma, fear, discrimination, homophobia, and negative perceptions about HIV testing also may have a negative impact. Learn more by visiting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.

Some population groups, in particular African Americans, continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV. African Americans have the highest rates of HIV and are more likely to die from HIV/AIDS than any other race or ethnicity. Environmental factors, such as housing conditions, social networks, and social support are key drivers of HIV, and discrimination and racism worsen the disparate impact of HIV on African Americans. These factors help shape a context of vulnerability that either contributes to increased individual risk of exposure to HIV or compromises the ability to protect oneself from infection.

When we see anything disproportionally affecting one group of people more than others, whether it is poverty, education or health, we must question if the root cause has to do with social injustices. HIV disparities have more to do with the systematic realities of health care and society than individual or group behaviors. The high rates of HIV for Black people in the U.S. point to the overwhelming injustices in the political, healthcare, economic, and educational systems. This threat to the survival and well-being of our community is a social injustice.

While The Black Church & HIV Social Justice Imperative initiative has completed its CGI commitments, our Pastoral Brief and Activity Manual provide various suggestions, tools, and strategies to help you and your congregation incorporate HIV activism.

The national strategic initiative was the result of a year-long, 11-city research tour with more than 250 faith leaders across denominations to identify best practices and challenges when addressing HIV within the Black Church. Through this process, the initiative collected ideas and reflections from ministers through individual interviews and survey data and used those to inform the program’s strategies.

Pastors and faith leaders in Atlanta, Georgia; Baltimore, Maryland; Chicago, Illinois; Detroit, Michigan; Houston, Texas; Los Angeles, California; Miami, Florida; New Orleans, Louisiana; New York, New York; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Washington, D.C. participated.

The NAACP, in partnership with Gilead Sciences, made a Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Commitment to Action in 2013 to enlist faith leaders as change agents to address the disparate and severe impact of HIV on African Americans. The commitment aimed to scale the initiative over five years reaching Black congregants in the 30 cities that make up nearly two-thirds of the nation’s HIV epidemic. Specifically, the initiative:

• Conducted faith leader trainings across the 30 cities with the greatest HIV burden,
• Obtained formal resolutions from mainline denominations to incorporate HIV messaging into Church activities, and
• Integrated HIV-related materials into required course curricula in predominantly Black seminaries.

In Jesus’ time, He gave voice to the marginalized, loved those who were rejected by society, and gave power to the oppressed. People living with HIV often encounter stigma associated with the disease. Historically, the Black Church has been a place of healing – spiritually, physically and emotionally. We have learned in the past that when the Black Church and the NAACP come together, great things are accomplished. Eliminating HIV will take another great effort, and it is with the faith community and faith leaders, like you, that we can mitigate the effects of the epidemic.

Some pastors’ hesitation to engage in HIV ministry is based in the belief that anything outside of salvation is beyond the scope of the church’s obligation. This viewpoint goes against the way Jesus approached ministry. He did not focus on the condition, but instead on the individual. Therefore, ministers should not concentrate on how HIV is transmitted or contracted – rather, on identifying ways in which their ministry might support their congregants.

The ministry should be:

• Grounded in the social justice work and teachings of Jesus Christ,
• Sensitive to and affirming of differences,
• Based in fact, and
• Sustained by committed leadership.

Read the Pastoral Brief and Activity Manual to learn more about HIV and what role you could play in addressing HIV as a social justice issue.

Consider inviting a local community-based health agency to facilitate in-person trainings about HIV as a social justice issue to help you and your leadership develop or expand your church’s response to the HIV crisis.

Increase dialogue about HIV and commit to on-going actions to raise awareness, engagement and advocacy about HIV as a social justice issue within your church and the larger community using the strategies outlined in the manual.

The Activity Manual provides various suggestions, educational tools, and strategies to help you and your congregation incorporate HIV activism. We understand that incorporating HIV activism into a spiritual setting may be perceived as a difficult process, but it is possible to begin with small steps even in the most conservative environments.  In reading the Manual, you may even learn that your church is already engaging in activities that address HIV as a social justice issue and not even be aware of your current activism. For example, if your church is hosting a Saturday workshop that teaches individuals how to job search, build a resume, and/or interview for a job, it is not only helping someone to gain employment, but addressing the high rates of unemployment among African Americans, which is one of the many socio-economic factors that plays a role in the high prevalence rates of HIV transmission in Black communities.

While the initiative has accomplished what it set out to do, the foundation laid is far from finished and our communities need your help to keep moving faith from awareness to engagement to ending HIV.

To achieve sustainability to continue this vital work, national and community organizations, seminaries, denominations, and all the faith-community need to come together.

The initiative’s Pastoral Brief, Activity Manual, and other resources will continue to live on this website as free tools. Please visit the resources section of the website to access these tools.

The Black Church & HIV: The Social Justice Imperative initiative exceeded the goals set through its Clinton Global Initiative Commitment to Action. This included:

• Training more than 2,000 faith leaders on how to address HIV as a social justice issue from the pulpit. Estimates show that through training, we reached 1.4 million Black Church congregants.
• Conducting 45 faith leader trainings on how to address HIV as a social justice issue across 30 cities with the greatest HIV burden.
• Integrating HIV related materials into required course curricula at five predominately black seminaries.
• Obtaining formal resolutions from seven mainstream denominations to incorporate HIV messaging into Church activities and endorsements from 11 denominations supporting initiative messaging.

In an evaluation of the initiative, evaluators found that:

• 96 percent of participants agreed that the town halls were valuable to attend.
• 95 percent would recommend the town hall to other faith leaders who want to learn about HIV/AIDS as a social justice issue.
• On average after the town halls, faith leader participants were more likely to:
  • Display HIV/AIDS education and prevention brochures at church events or invite a local HIV/AIDS expert to address the church and/or participate in health fairs;
  • Talk to others about HIV/AIDS as a social justice issue in church;
  • Preach from the pulpit about HIV/AIDS as a social justice issue;
  • Pray publicly about HIV/AIDS as a social justice issue;
  • Offer HIV testing at church;
  • Using church settings to promote routine HIV testing in clinical settings;
  • Incorporate activities around HIV/AIDS as a social justice issue into an existing ministry;
  • Offer HIV/AIDS prevention education programs for church and community members; and
  • Partner with HIV/AIDS organizations (e.g. care and treatment agencies, community-based organizations).

While it was not the leading barrier to implementing HIV ministry in the NAACP’s nationwide survey, some ministers reported not having resources to engage in HIV prevention ministry. Commitment to making HIV a priority in your church does not have to cost any money. Through commitment, you can build partnerships and identify resources. There are many free resources available to help you. Many are listed in the Resource section of the Activity Manual and some are included in the resources section of this website.

Other resources include:

• Health agencies,
• Health professionals in your own congregation, and
• Brochures, litanies, and prayers.

Additionally, mobile testing units that can be made available to churches in many locations for no charge. There are also some grants for faith-based HIV initiatives in some communities.