HIV Awareness

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, a day to acknowledge progress in #HIV prevention and care among

Black/African American people while recognizing much work still needs to be done. Black

communities have made great progress in reducing HIV. Yet racism, discrimination, and mistrust in the health care

system affect whether Black people seek or receive HIV prevention services. These issues may also reduce the likelihood of engaging in HIV treatment and care.

To continue to reduce the burden

of HIV and other health risks, people need adequate housing and transportation, employment, access to culturally competent health services that are free of

stigma and discrimination, and more. Together, when we work

KNOW YOUR STATUS GET TESTED!

to overcome structural barriers

to HIV testing, prevention, and treatment and to stop HIV stigma, we help reduce HIVrelated disparities and health inequities in Black communities.

While Black community leaders and members, activists and organizations continue to work tirelessly to reduce HIV and AIDS in our communities and mitigate the seroconversions (new HIV diagnoses), Black Americans remain disproportionately impacted by HIV. National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is an annual observance aimed at

increasing education, testing, treatment, and prevention of HIV in Black communities

and communities of color. It

is also an important day to raise awareness around the

disproportionate impact of HIV in Black communities, and what we can do to turn the tides. In

recent years, research continues to demonstrate that the social

determinants of health such

as housing, income, education, food security, and insurance status – to name a few – are

the leading indicators of health outcomes and health disparities

The Importance of National BLACK HIV/AIDS

Awareness Day

By Brodderick D. Roary

among certain populations. To reduce the burden of HIV in

Black communities, we must address the structural barriers to

accessing health care.

Today, there are various ways to prevent and treat HIV, but many people do not have access to these tools. By providing equitable access to care and reducing factors such as discrimination, stigma, and shame, we can overcome HIV.

One of the most important tools for HIV prevention is PrEP, or Pre-exposure prophylaxis. PrEP is a medication that, when taken correctly, can reduce that risk of HIV transmission by up to 99%. Recently it has shown that the people who could significantly benefit from PrEP are Black but

only 1% of PrEP users are Black. Education, access, and reducing stigma are key to increasing the uptake of PrEP.

Another important HIV prevention method is PEP, or post-exposure prophylaxis. PEP is a medication taken after a

potential exposure to prevent transmission of HIV. PEP is highly effective if taken within 72 hours U=U, or “Undetectable = Untransmittable” is another

important guiding principle when considering the importance of HIV treatment as a prevention strategy. By taking HIV medication as prescribed, a person can achieve what is known as an undetectable viral

load – meaning the amount of HIV in a persons’ blood is so low, it cannot be passed onto others via sex. In addition to reducing transmission, people living with HIV can lead long and healthy lives by taking medicines that keep the virus undetectable.

National Black HIV/AIDS

Awareness Day is a chance to get more involved in getting the word out that HIV is preventable and treatable. With greater awareness about how the

disease is spread and how to avoid risky behaviors, people can reduce their chance of infection.

With appropriate treatment and medication, people living with HIV can live long and productive lives and manage their disease like other chronic illnesses. That is why it is so important for everyone to get screened for HIV and to know their HIV status.

In Remembrance

The world lost a gem when Coach Sharolyn Payton was abruptly taken from us too soon. This article was

originally published in 2019 and her teachings are even more profound and relevant today. Sharolyn was a mother, grandmother, friend and mentor whose legacy will live through her teachings. In this issue we humbly pay tribute to her life by resharing her gift to the world… Rest in Perfect peace my friend!

TEN STEPS

TO LIVING PURPOSEFULLY

Getting our year off to a purposeful, powerful,

productive start both personally and professionally begins with personal responsibility. No matter the trials, the triumphs, or the turmoil faced in the

previous year or past years, what matters now is how

we respond to, plan for, and advocate for ourselves, our vision, and our values as we look forward towards the future.

Here are a few simple tips for executing a personal responsibility plan for 2023 and beyond:

By Sharolyn Payton

Practice and master the art of gratitude. I believe that gratitude is the key to unlocking life’s abundance and makes everyday worth living and certainly worth looking forward to.

TWO

Do your own personal “Year in Review.” Look back at the

previous year’s events, meetings, engagements, projects, and personal/professional connections, and ask yourself three questions:

• Was it time well invested, or was it simply time wasted?

• Did I follow through/follow up or get the outcome desired?

• Did the action improve my life or put me in a better position socially, emotionally, spiritually or financially?

THREE

Clarify your vision/purpose. Make sure you understand what you want to do, why you want to do it, and how you expect to get it done, as it relates to your personal or professional vision/mission.

FOUR

Evaluate your gifts, talents, and abilities. No matter what

the clichés may lead us to believe, we can be good at a lot of things but at some point, we and focus on doing just that. So, never let it be said that you were a “Jack (or Jill) of many trades, but master of none.” For the

record, that’s not a compliment. or Reward” component that makes the goals even more effective. If goal-setting and follow-through are areas of your life that are challenging, overwhelming and/or cumbersome for you, it would be in your best interest to identify and hire a professional life or business coach to help you identify ways to overcome this. Once you find the right coach to support your vision, you’ll find this to be the best investment you’ll ever make.

Above all, take care of yourself. Make sure to put self-care and self-advocacy at the top of your list. Caring for and investing in the wellbeing of others is fulfilling and often necessary. However, caring for and investing in ourselves is the key to living a peace-filled, abundant, and purpose-fulfilling life. I wish you a purposeful, powerful, productive, and limitless year and beyond!

Deep belief and warm regards,

FIVE

Be honest about successes and failures. Be willing to take a good hard look at past actions/ outcomes so that you can manage and set more realistic future expectations and goals. In order to live our most authentic

lives, we must always be honest about who we are, who we wish to become, and most importantly, we must know the difference between the two.

SIX

Refocus your time, energy, and attention on the people and things that will get you closer to your goals and help you grow personally and professionally.

SEVEN

Partner and build relationships with people who believe in you and who want to see you win! This is not one of those areas of life where we

can afford to lie to ourselves or

misrepresent what we know to be true. If the people who we are currently partnering with don’t openly and/or publicly show support for our vision or mission, they are probably not true supporters. Real support is always evidenced by action. Treat people with respect, even when relationships come to an end. It’s important to avoid publicly shaming, embarrassing, or in any way humiliating those who we were once in relationship with. Yes, sometimes it’s necessary to burn bridges but it’s never necessary to set people on fire along with the bridges we burn.

NINE

Create an asset list for your life. Just as we often take an

inventory of our possessions or the things in our homes, offices, etc. in the event of unforeseen circumstances

such as fire or burglary, I believe we must also have a

personal asset list or inventory of those whom we have allowed

to be in our lives. The list

should assess the value that

they add to our lives and clearly define why they are there.

TEN

Set personal and professional goals, and write them down. One of the things I value most in life is my time. And, because I value it, I make sure to steward it well through deliberate and effective

goal setting. Personally, I recommend setting S.M.A.R.T.E.R. goals, instead of just S.M.A.R.T (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) goals. S.M.A.R.T.E.R. goals have an “Evaluate and Revise