When Issa Rae stated, in an interview at the 2017 Oscars, “I’m rooting for everybody black,” I knew immediately, that was my new life motto. I am unapologetically black, and no matter what space I am in, I am rooting for everybody black. I think
As a woman, I lived through and survived intimate partner violence. I remember the day we met. He was so charming and sweet. After moving in with him, he was the perfect mate. Within six months, he started beating me every day. He sat in
In recent years there has been a lot of discussion around the health disparities in maternal mortality. The CDC reports that black women are two to three times more likely to die of pregnancy related causes than white women. There are several issues we need
Today is Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. And so often the awareness of how HIV/AIDS impacts Black women falls between the cracks, but it is so real. Did you know that the CDC estimates that 230,000 women in the US have been diagnosed with HIV? Or that Black women have
Today is December 1, the annual observance of World AIDS Day. Every year, on this day, we are surrounded by messages from organizations and individuals, asking us to remember those we have lost, encouraging us to stay strong as we continue to move through this
World AIDS Day makes me thankful for the achievements made to subdue the epidemic since it reared its ugly head in the 1980s. I was working for New York City’s Health and Hospital Corporation then. I was responsible for figuring out how many beds we
We think of women’s health issues in boxes (the diabetes box, the depression box, the hypertension box). But, in fact, our health concerns are more like a maze of rooms with doors that lead from one space to another. Take HIV. We think of it
The question was raised recently during a conference that focused on HIV in the U.S. and how we can increase awareness of the use of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) that prevents HIV infection in HIV-negative people. At the close of the conference, one of the speakers asked
In 2003, I was pregnant, homeless, and HIV-positive. But worst of all, I felt completely helpless and had nowhere to turn for help. I received my diagnosis after my senior year of high school. In college, I thought I might be pregnant. I went to
With a black shirt that read, “HAVING SEX?” in bold, pink letters, I walked through the streets of Washington DC, telling people the importance of getting tested for HIV and pointing them in the direction of a van where they could get tested for