NBWHAN Network Newsletter

NEWS
NETWORK
Greetings Network...Letter from the Chair
On behalf of the
National Black
Women’s
HIV/AIDS Network (the Network), thank you
for your ongoing
support.
As
NBWHAN Chair
Chair, I am exBarbara Joseph
cited to see familiar faces and meet new colleagues as
we continue to fight HIV/AIDS.
There has been quite a bit taking
place at the Network since last year.
As of May 2012, the National Black
Women’s HIV/AIDS Network, Inc. is
an official 501©3, making us a notfor-profit organization. In addition
to becoming a 501©3, we have also
expanded our Board of Directors.
Our new board members hail from
Texas, Alabama, and the US Virgin
Islands. Welcome Pamela Collins,
Pamela Foster and Dr. Chenzi Kahina.
Each member provides the Network
with unique perspectives as well as
expertise in a variety of areas that
ultimately benefit women and girls.
You will have a chance to learn more
about them through our social media
link on Facebook and Twitter.
Some of our members have said
that they don’t hear from the Network enough. Well…. we’d like to
change that too! One of the ways
we plan on doing that is to publish
this newsletter quarterly which will
complement our Facebook and
Twitter sites.
However, for those of you who
aren’t engaged in these social media outlets we’re hoping that our
newsletter will provide you with
information on our activities and
keep you up to date on sexual
health issues affecting women and
girls.
As much as our members want to
hear from us…we want to hear
from our members. Let us know
what you’re doing in your community to educate Black women about
their sexual health, including
HIV/AIDS. Send us an email at
[email protected].
Thank you for your continued support and let’s stay connected!
Sincerely,
Network
Board of Directors
Barbara Joseph
Chair
Ivy Turnbull
Vice Chair
Deborah Levine
Secretary
Bambi Gaddist
Treasurer
Jacqueline
Coleman
Debra
Hickman
Vanessa
Johnson
Linda H.
Scruggs
Pamela
Foster
Chenzi
Kahina
Pamela
Collins
Debra
Frazier-Howze
Member Emeritus
Barbara Joseph,
Chair
Alicia Keys Speaks to US Women about Domestic AIDS
Alicia Keys is normally the voice we listen to in our car
radios and on concert stages. In July 2012, she was the
educated listener. The Kaiser Family Foundation, the
Network, the Women’s Collective hosted this listening
session with Ms. Keys. Over 100 people attended the
event, along with 75 HIV positive women who shared
their stories, both tragic and triumphant and concerns
with healthcare availability, treatment and prevention
efforts.
Ms. Keys was recognized for her global and domestic
agenda from the Network and the Collective. Valerie
Jarrett, Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama, also
addressed the invited guests.
Rev. Debra Hickman, Chair Barbara Joseph, Alicia
Keys, Dr. Ivy Turnbull & Linda Scruggs
Phone: 1.800.812.0043
Fax:
1.713.957.1542
Black Women’s Network Looking to do More with Non Profit Status
[email protected] The National Black Women’s HIV/AIDS Network was established in 2006 and since that
time, has worked to elevate the perspective of Black women and girls about HIV/AIDS
and sexual health issues.
NBWHAN
#NBWHAN
The NETWORK Mission
Our mission is:
To reduce the burden of
morbidity, mortality and
stigma of HIV/AIDS and
other health disparities
associated with gender,
social, and economic inequities among Black
women and girls.
Initially starting out as a group of 16 women from across the country, who came together
to address HIV/AIDS and its devastating impact on Black women and girls, as well as set a
policy agenda that focuses on their needs, the founding members decided that it was
important for the organization to pursue non-profit status. By doing so, the Network
gained a broader platform in which to seek funding while expanding its ability to create
unique and innovative initiatives aimed at Black women and girls.
The PASS IT ON– African American Health Information Diffusion Project is the newest
innovative initiative created by the Network. Along with the National Council of Negro
Women and the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, the project will increase the
knowledge of black women through the use of social media on HIV/AIDS, STDs, and other
health disparities.
This is an exciting time for the Network. Now that we’re a fully functional nonprofit organization, we are ready and excited about launching new projects and expanding our
relationships with other leaders in the community as well as developing corporate and
private partnerships that address the various aspects that affect the lives of black
women and girls living with and at risk of HIV and AIDS.
What the CDC Says: HIV Infections in the US Among Black Women
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women accounted for 13 percent of all new HIV
infections in the United States in 2010 and nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of all new infections among women.
Most black women (87 percent) were infected through heterosexual sex. While new infections among black women
remain high, for the first time this analysis found indications of an encouraging trend.
Comparing 2008 to 2010, new HIV infections among black women decreased 21 percent, from 7,700 in 2008 to
6,100 in 2010. This decrease contributed to a 21 percent decline in new infections among women overall during
the same time period. Additional years of data will be needed to determine if the decrease among black women is
the beginning of a longer-term trend.
While the decline in HIV incidence is encouraging, the new data show that black women continue to be far more
affected by HIV than women of other races/ethnicities.
The rate of new HIV infections among black women in 2010 was 20 times that of
white women and nearly 5 times that of Hispanic women (38.1 v. 1.9 and 8.0 per
100,000, respectively).
This indicates an even greater disparity than shown in CDC’s previous incidence
analysis, in which the HIV infection rate among black women was 15 times that of
white women and more than 3 times that of Hispanic women.
CDC FACT SHEET
http://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/newsroom/docs/2012/HIV-Infections-2007-2010.pdf
Page 3
NETWORK
NEWS
Support the Network through iGive.com
Did you know that you can raise money
for the Network every time you search
the web?
www.iGive.com is the internet's first
online search engine and shopping mall
where a penny or more per search and a
portion of each purchase is donated to
the Network. Over 1,000 of the web’s
best stores participate in this free program, and up to 26% of each purchase
benefits our cause. Make your first purchase through iGive.com within 45 days
of joining, and they'll donate an extra
$5.00 to the Network .
It’s easy and it’s free to join….so click on
the link and shop or search until you
drop!
Help National Black
Women's HIV/AIDS
Network, Inc
http://www.igive.com/NationalBlackWomensHIVAIDS
Happenings Around the Network
Test Kit developed by Orasure Technologies.
Deborah Levine, Dr. Ivy Turnbull, Dr. Vanessa
Sharpe, PACHA Member, Dr. Bambi Gaddist and
Barbara Joseph
The Network’s advocacy efforts resulted in Dr. Vanessa Sharpe, an
openly HIV-positive African-American
woman, being appointed to the
Presidential Advisory Council on
HIV/AIDS (PACHA).
During 2011-2012 the Network:
Provided suggestions to the Office of
National AIDS Policy regarding the
African American Consultation on
HIV/AIDS held at the White House
Barbara Joseph, Chair, testified before the FDA on the benefits of approving the over the counter HIV
The Network, along with the National
Black Gay Men’s Advocacy Coalition, and
the Heterosexual Men of Color Coalition
hosted a joint Affinity Session at the
2012 US Conference on AIDS. The session focused on how black women, and
black gay and straight men can work
together to solve issues intrinsic to the
Dawn Breedon and Deadra Malloy
African American experience and community. By engaging all aspects of the Members Dawn Breedon and
impacted community, the coalition re- Deadra Malloy, (pictured with
mains on the front line of the epidemic. Valerie Rochester), were the
first recipients of the Douglas
Morgan Scholarship Award to
attend USCA in 2012.
The Douglas Morgan Scholarship
was established by the National
Minority AIDS Council (NMAC)
to support members of the Ryan
White community, living with
HIV/AIDS, in their efforts to enhance and expand their public
health leadership.
At some point in our lives each one of us has heard the statement, “I see
light at the end of the tunnel”. This artistic expression (idiom) is open to
interpretation and not grammatically supported in the dictionary. Yet, its
Dr. Bambi W. Gaddist, DrPH
ultimate interpretation or outcome speaks to the reality one finds ones
South Carolina HIV/AIDS Council
self in, be it positive or negative. To some, the phrase reflects something
negative, a dismal situation where no hope seems in sight. For the optimist, light at the end of the tunnel reflects a fact,
condition, or circumstance that leads one to believe that a difficult or unpleasant situation will eventually end. It ultimately includes the belief that the “tides have changed” and there will be closure in a difficult assignment that we
thought would never end.
LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL
by
These thoughts are my personal reflection as we embark on the initiation of the Affordable Care Act beginning October
1, 2013. Since the Supreme Court upheld the right of American citizens to gain access to preventive health care, intervention, and treatment, our political leadership has remained embroiled in controversy. Nevertheless, those of us who
struggle to ensure access to care for our communities and Persons Living with HIV are fortunate to witness the “light at
the end of the tunnel”. We are now being called to a higher order.
As we move toward the light, let us ready ourselves through education. Let us resist any compulsions that lead to distraction and a lack of fulfillment of our purpose. Our purpose is to become an illuminating light for those who cannot
speak for themselves or live in communities and states that would prefer to censor information about affordable carethan save tax payer dollars and lives on the front end. So what’s that mean for you? It’s basic. If you don’t know if your
agency will become a Certified Application Counselor (CAC) organization, ask your leadership. If you need to build your
agency’s infrastructure to become a CAC or Benefits Navigation entity, ask for technical assistance. If you only talk about
ACA and the up-coming October 1st enrollment at work… take your message to the streets! Whatever action you
choose, know that someone will benefit from your pro-activity. Who knows…it may even be you.
So go forth and let your light shine, so all those you touch can finally envision-“Light at the end of tunnel”.