HIV prevention: Capacity building in the South and among black MSM: Unspoken policies

It has long been this organization’s unspoken policy to seek to aid where the need is greatest.  Although a tenant of the National AIDS Strategy, one example of this unspoken policy occurred when we developed initiatives to proactively assist HIV prevention organizations in New Orleans shortly after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. 

We acknowledge that black and minority communities are disproportionally affected by HIV and AIDS. Many are often geographically isolated and often in the South. According to recent research, the South may represent 37% of the United States population, but 49% of new HIV diagnoses. Blacks also accounted for 49% of new AIDS diagnoses in 2011. In addition, in 2011, 61% of the newly diagnosed cases of HIV were of Blacks in the South.

This data reveals a troubling trend. Recognizing this historic pattern, in 2009, we launched a holistic policy of organizational capacity building known as organizational case management. From 2009 to 2014, the data has revealed that the majority of our cases have been in the Southern states. 

Over five years of organizational case management more than 95% of the community based organizations that we served were satisfied with our work.  Moreover, we conducted a session on a biomedical approach to prevention with Howard University and 83% were satisfied and 91% found the materials culturally appropriate.

We remain committed to racial justice and to train, and fight to help communities of color end the epidemic.