Faith Groups Work to Reduce Stigma Around HIV Testing

Today is National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, and one in nine women with HIV are unaware they have it.

Faith leaders in North Carolina are working to reduce stigma around HIV prevention and testing, especially among Black and Hispanic women.

According to 2018 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women make up 58% of diagnoses of HIV infection among women.

Associate Director for Partners in Health and Wholeness at the North Carolina Council of Churches Elizabeth Brewington said faith groups can help communities talk about the issue and provide resources for individuals to take steps toward prevention and treatment.

“We have seen from recent data that the majority of new HIV cases have been in the South,” said Brewington. “And we know that, that church is really kind of a place to talk about a lot of different issues.”