African American Women and

HIV/AIDS

USCA

October 2009

Welcome

• NASTAD Midwest Forum 2007

• Team Members

• Developed an Action Plan

• Implementation

• Accomplishments

• Successes and Challenges

• Next Steps

The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago

The next best time is now

- African Proverb

African Proverb

“In Africa if there is a lion in the

village everyone begins to beat the

drum to warn everyone until the

lion leaves the village”

AIDS is our lion in the African

American community

In Iowa…..

• Despite the seemingly low number of African Americans diagnosed when compared to diagnoses among whites, diagnoses among African Americans are hugely disproportionate when the size of the black population is taken into account.

70%

2%

8%

15%

5%

White, not Hispanic Other

Hispanic, all races African AmericanBlack, foreign-born

91%

<1%

3%

4%

2%

2006 Estimated Population 2007 HIV/AIDS Prevalence

Prevalence by Race and Ethnicity

Compared to Iowa’s Population

20%

Persons Living with HIV/AIDS by Race

and Gender on December 31, 2007:

Persons per 100,000 population

0

100

200

300

400

500

Cases p

er

100,0

00

Po

pu

lati

on

Males Females

White, not Hispanic Black, not Hispanic

Hispanic, all races Asian, not Hispanic

HIV diagnosis rate in 2007

• 33.8 cases per 100,000 population for

black, non-Hispanic persons;

• Black persons were over ten times

more likely to have been diagnosed

with HIV than white persons in Iowa;

HIV diagnosis rate in 2007

• 9.2 cases per 100,000 for Hispanics; and

3.3 cases per 100,000 for white, non-

Hispanic persons in Iowa; and

• Hispanic persons were over three-and-

one-half times more likely to have been

diagnosed with HIV than white persons in

2007.

Iowa’s HIV/AIDS Statistics for

African Americans

• Relatively small minority populations in the

state result in low numbers of cases when

compared to the much larger white, non-

Hispanic population.

• Despite the low numbers of cases, the

impact of high infection rates within a

small population can be devastating to that

population.

The best way to predict the future is to

invent it.

— Alan Kay

Action Plan

• Research activities and programs for

African American women that are being

implemented in Iowa;

• Identify African American women leaders;

and

• Identify collaboration and resources for

capacity building.

After the Forum

• Reported to the CPG; became a CPG ad

hoc committee

• Presented at the 2007 Iowa African

American Women’s Leadership

Conference

After the Forum

• Instrumental in a statewide effort to

engage the African American faith

community

And then….

• Meetings were held every month via

conference call.

• 4 of the original 6 members have stayed

engaged and involved.

• One of the members selected to join the

CPG – 3 others were already members.

• Developed committee goals & tasks –

(collaboration with another state).

• REHD Committee (Communities of Color)

– Ad hoc CPG

Accomplishments

• Instrumental in Priority Setting– social

determinants – discussion and

reprioritization (3 members-PS).

• Interventions targeting African Americans

and Hispanic/Latinos – nationwide search

(2 members-SPICE).

• Needs assessment – Provider Survey

(1member-NARC).

Accomplishments

• Representation on the CPG – 1 member-

chair of the MOB Squad.

• Instrumental on plenary and track

development at the Iowa HIV Conference

in 2008; Unity and Diversity: the Challenge

for Change.

Challenges

• Ongoing engagement……

• Meeting times; in person vs. calls?

• Met the goals – now what?

• Expansion of committee?

• Where , what do we do now?

Next Steps

• Received TA from NASTAD – June 2009

– Focus Groups

– Strategic Planning

• Developed Vision and Mission

Vision and Mission

Vision:

• Empowered women of color building

healthy communities.

Mission:

• Increase awareness and education about

HIV and its impact among women of color

in Iowa.

Next Steps

• Added members

• Anti-stigma campaign participation

• Tangible goals work best for us

• Iowa 2010 HIV conference…..

– Intergenerational Panel of Women of Color

(plenary and a concurrent session)

– Market to the larger community

– Increase awareness

– Recruit new members

REHD Committee Members

• Colleen Bornmueller

• Linnea Fletcher,

Chair

• Betty Johnson

• Virginia Jorden

• Jaycee Selwood

• Roma Taylor

• Rhea Van Brocklin

• Kathy Weiss

• Patricia Young, HD