Increasing HIV/AIDS Awareness in Black Communities

February 6, 2015

On February 7, 2015, the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) observes National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. We stand in solidarity with our sister organizations who shine a light on the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Black communities each day, including Black Women’s Blueprint and SisterLove.

Raising awareness about HIV/AIDS in Black communities is a critical and necessary step to addressing and eliminating HIV/AIDS in all communities. HIV/AIDS disproportionately affects Black communities. However, Black people are also more likely to know their HIV status than people from other races or ethnicities, which is a vital first step in receiving timely, lifesaving care.

Knowing your HIV status is a crucial first step, but having a connected and coordinated community that links people to resources is also essential. Unfortunately, for many survivors of domestic violence (including Black survivors), abusers may weaponize HIV as a tool to threaten and control their partners. This can include preventing a partner from knowing their status or seeking care, keeping a partner from having that connected community support, and more.

NNEDV’s Positively Safe program makes connections and builds relationships between the domestic violence field and HIV/AIDS service providers, strengthening the knowledge and services in each. Our DV & HIV/AIDS Toolkit houses a variety of materials that provide an overview of important information and practical steps to addressing the intersection of HIV/AIDS and domestic violence.

Learn more about NNEDV’s Positively Safe program here.