By D. Kevin McNeir
Special to the AFRO
The Montgomery County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. located in Maryland, hosted its fourth annual World AIDS Day Solidarity for Health Equity Breakfast on Dec. 3.
Photo courtesy of www.mcacdst.org
With a theme of “Breaking the Silence Together: Celebrating Black Women’s Strength in HIV Awareness, Sexual Health and Wellness,” the women came together inside of the Silver Spring Civic Center to address topics related to the disease.
Under the leadership of Emily Halden Brown, Montgomery County Sexual Health and Wellness Services, health experts shared vital information with local residents on the County’s plan to end HIV transmission and to pay tribute to the businesses, organizations and individuals who advance equity and help alleviate health disparities in Montgomery County.
In her previous role as a spokesperson for Georgia Equity, Brown pointed to the stark reality facing African Americans, particularly Black gay men, noting that many would become HIV-positive on or before their 30th birthday.
“It only takes one time without a condom,” Brown said, adding that education is key- especially for teens and young adults. “We have the power to protect our young people,” she said.
In addition to the breakfast, programs for the day included two free lunch and workshop events, “Embracing Pleasure: A Journey to Wellness and Empowerment,” that encouraged a discussion on HIV awareness in a safe and supportive space; and “PrEP Now . . . Not Later,” which educated the community on the PrEP medication, which when used properly, is highly effective in preventing HIV.
The later workshop, facilitated by Dr. Immirne Ouwinga, a family medicine physician in Silver Spring, affiliated with CCI Health and Wellness Services, gave special attention to the benefits to Black women who chose to use or are considering using PrEP.
The final workshop for the day, “I am a Quintessential Woman,” helped women focus on the challenges and obstacles in their lives while creating a specific plan to achieve attainable goals based on “unleashing quintessential self.”
World AIDS Day, first held on Dec. 1, 1988, serves as an international day dedicated to increasing awareness of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and to remember those who have died because of the disease.
For the 37th commemoration of World AIDS Day, this year’s theme, “Take the Rights Path,” encouraged a human-right focused approach with a worldwide emphasis among health officials for “treatment as prevention,” a target agreed upon by UNAIDS which the organization hopes to achieve in 2025.
Among his last official duties, President Joe Biden recently hosted the AIDS Memorial Quilt on the South Lawn of the White House and a seminar, “Embracing the Lives of People with HIV: A Quality of Life Symposium,” on Dec. 5.
Biden spoke to Americans during a televised press conference on Monday, Dec. 2 at the White House.
“For the families here today, we hope you can find comfort and remember the love you’ve had for those who you have lost and their love for you is never lost,” the president said. “We use this sacred place to ensure that everyone in America is seen and your stories heard. That’s why we’re here on World AIDS Day.
“The idea of the quilt was first conceived in 1985 to honor the memory of those lost to AIDS with one panel. Nearly four decades later, that quilt now includes 50,000 panels and more than 10,000 names. It tells the tragic story of brothers who died too soon, children born with the disease and their mothers who, like them, also died, and countless friends and loved ones whose lives were cut short,” Biden said, adding that the quilt was first displayed at the White House in 1987.
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