When Faith Meets HIV/AIDS: A Black Church Prevention Approach - Research Paper Example

11 October When Faith Meets HIV/AIDS: A Black Church Prevention Approach One of the dominant manifestations of racial disparity in the United States is the incidence of AIDS/HIV rates among racial minorities. According to the United States Census’ 2010 Census Data, African Americans compose only 13% of the American population, but make up more than 50% of new HIV/AIDS diagnoses (Hall et al. 520). The infection rates among black Americans are seven times more compared to Caucasians (Nunn et al. 1). The lecture on the theology of AIDS asserts the responsibility of religious organizations in helping stem the spread of HIV/AIDS: “We may no longer speak about them and us. It is God’s children, our brothers and sisters, who are dying of HIV/AIDS” (“Definitions of Theology” 7). The Black Church is in a position to collaborate with the government and non-profit organizations that deal with HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs. In California, programs are designed to improve the participation of the church in HIV/AIDS prevention, although several challenges must also be surmounted to ensure their success. California has the second highest HIV/AIDS occurrence rate in the U.S. after New York. Polls indicated that most Americans have stopped seeing AIDS as a major social problem, but they are wrong (“HIV: Human Immunodeficiency Virus” 28). New infections are increasing with more than half who are affected are men who have sex with men, while 31% are heterosexuals (“HIV” 28). California, where large populations of minority groups are located, has seen soaring HIV/AIDS infection rates. The third week’s presentation provided statistics, where around “190, 000 people were living with HIV in the state of California as of April 30, 2009, including those with and those without AIDS” (“HIV/AIDS Overview” 13). When compared to non-Hispanic Whites, Blacks were 1.7 times more probable to test HIV-Positive and Hispanics 1.4 times more probable (“HIV/AIDS Overview” 14). From existing surviving cases, men who have sex with men (MSM) are mostly infected with HIV/AIDS, which means that they compose 64.6 % of HIV infections, and they are followed by heterosexual contact (9.5%), IDU (9.0%) and MSM& IDU (7.9%) (“HIV/AIDS Overview” 14). Because of these alarming figures, the state government of California, as well as many other non-profit organizations, is finding ways to collaborate and to enhance their response to HIV/AIDS. To learn more about the international approach to HIV/AIDS prevention strategies, a brief history of international efforts will be discussed. In 1996, the United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS) took the helm of leadership in enhancing the global response to the AIDS/HIV epidemic (“HIV/AIDS and Social Justice” 1). The four main principles of the UNAIDS are: “a clear concern for human rights; a desire to meet the needs of young people; a commitment to ensuring a strong gender dimension in policy and programs; and to ensure that people with HIV and AIDS are properly involved at all stages” (“HIV/AIDS and Social Justice” 2). UNAIDS, along with other government and non-profit agencies, realized that HIV/AIDS has socio-economic and political causes, which inspired them to adopt a social justice approach in understanding and fighting its spread. Through studies on the conditions of people with HIV/AIDS, findings showed that “the spread of HIV and AIDS finds fertile ground where there are socio-economic and gender inequalities” (“A Social Justice Approach” 1). In addition, poor work opportunities and poverty facilitate a wider distribution of the epidemic among the minorities and the poor: “unemployment, under-employment, poverty, forced separation from family & kin and lack of access to health services are contributory factors to the spread of the epidemic” (“A Social Justice Approach” 1). Thus, the existence of socio-economic problems should not be ignored, when designing programs that aim to resolve the AIDS epidemic. The responsibility of the Black church in HIV prevention is not something new, but it is in the process of being refined and expanded, particularly due to the existing barriers in engaging African American congregations in HIV/AIDS prevention programs. In “Keeping the Faith: African American Faith Leaders' Perspectives and Recommendations for Reducing Racial Disparities in HIV/AIDS Infection,” Nunn et al. explored the views of African American faith leaders on HIV/AIDS. They conducted interviews and focus group discussions to acquire knowledge about these leaders’ comments on the challenges in HIV prevention in their churches and their recommendations on how African American faith institutions can contribute to HIV/AIDS prevention. Several of the faith leaders were not aware of the racial disparities in HIV infection in Philadelphia. Furthermore, they expressed discomfort in indirectly promoting extramarital sex through endorsing the use of condoms. They admitted that they also have little educational information that can help them reach faith-based audiences. Many feared that discussing sexuality and HIV/AIDS can result to lower membership and participation in church services. Despite these apprehensions, many of these leaders agree that they have a moral imperative in actively fighting the AIDS epidemic, and believe that as clergy, they play a greater role in HIV prevention measures. In California, several black churches are engaging in HIV prevention programs, which include the efforts of Balm in Gilead, Inc. In “HIV Prevention Programs in the Black Church,” Hatcher, Burley, and Lee-Ouga explored the literature that examined the risk factors related with African-American women with HIV/AIDS and determined an effective method of HIV prevention. They discussed the role of the Black Church in preventing the spread of HIV and mentioned the work of Balm in Gilead, Inc., which is a leader in educating and engaging African-American clergy, so that the latter are prepared to enhance their involvement in HIV prevention and treatment within their churches and communities (316). Balm in Gilead markets, mobilizes, and integrates HIV/AIDS consciousness and community activities into the ministries of Black churches (Hatcher, Burley, and Lee-Ouga 316). An example of its program component is its Black Church HIV/AIDS Training Institute that convenes African-American HIV/AIDS experts. These experts help educate black pastors and church members on the biological, psychosocial, and economic elements related to AIDS in the black community (Hatcher, Burley, and Lee-Ouga 316). The Institute's curriculum is written to develop the understanding of Biblical scripture and to start and reinforce church involvement in social activism (Hatcher, Burley, and Lee-Ouga 316). The curriculum offers skill-building courses that can help ministers in integrating AIDS knowledge, when counseling and educating their members and others in the community about HIV/AIDS (Hatcher, Burley, and Lee-Ouga 316). The state government supports this move in the black community. The California Statewide HIV/AIDS Church Outreach Advisory Board and the California Department of Health Services, Office of AIDS are working together to augment awareness and teach congregations on ways to contribute in the prevention of HIV transmission (Hatcher, Burley, and Lee-Ouga 317). Some of their activities are “Promotion of National HIV Testing Days, HIV-related topical discussion groups, and sermons to stir compassion for individuals with HIV” (Hatcher, Burley, and Lee-Ouga 317). At the same time, the Board designed and disseminated thousands of copies of an HIV/AIDS resource book called Healing Begins Here: A Pastor's Guidebook to HIV/AIDS Ministry through the Church (Hatcher, Burley, and Lee-Ouga 317). Some black churches in California have heightened their response to HIV by openly discussing sexuality in the church. The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (2006) began the National Black Church Initiative in 1996 (Hatcher, Burley, and Lee-Ouga 317). They hold a yearly National Black Religious Summit on Sexuality that enables dialogue between clergy and laity on some controversial issues, including teen pregnancy, sexuality and religion, domestic violence, reproductive health, and HIV/AIDS (Hatcher, Burley, and Lee-Ouga 317). The Coalition also designed tools that enable a wide discussion of sexuality among teenagers and their families through "Keeping It Real," "Hear Me Now," and "Breaking the Silence" (Hatcher, Burley, and Lee-Ouga 317). These efforts are considered as successful because of the multisectoral approach to HIV/AIDS prevention programs and the improvement in the openness of the church to discussing sensitive topics. The church, families, communities, schools, and governments should work together in providing a unified education front that aims to prevent the spreading of HIV. Particularly, greater efforts in reaching out to the youth and at-risk groups are important in decreasing HIV/AIDS incidence among minority groups. These efforts include a “formalization of sexuality education” the shows how the Black Church will no longer be silent on sexuality and its connection with HIV/AIDS. Although it cannot be helped that the church continues to promote sex-only-after-marriage beliefs, which not all teenagers follow nowadays, at the minimum, it recognizes teenage sexuality and wants the youth to know that it should be careful of its sexual attitudes and practices. The theology of HIV/AIDS prevention invites an open-minded and collaborative approach to HIV/AIDS prevention program. The Black Church has stopped the culture of silence on HIV/AIDS and sexuality, as it realizes its role in actively preventing HIV/AIDS in their congregations and communities. At present, the church is developing communications strategies that are customized to target groups, while being based on faith concept and aspirations. The government and private sectors are supporting these efforts through reference books and trainings for the clergy. Hence, with a community-based approach to HIV/AIDS prevention, the church aims to use its power and influence to change sexuality attitudes and habits among at-risk groups and other members of society. Works Cited “A Social Justice Approach to the HIV/AIDS Epidemic.” Class PowerPoint Presentation. Sixth Week Part 2. 2012. “Definitions of Theology.” Class lecture notes. 2012. Hall, H., Song, R., Rhodes, P., Prejean, J., and Q. An. “Estimation of HIV Incidence in the United States. JAMA 300 (2008): 520–529. Medline. Web. 8 Oct. 2012. Hatcher, Schnavia Smith, Burley, Jeronda T., and Wilhelmena I. Lee-Ouga. “HIV Prevention Programs in the Black Church: A Viable Health Promotion Resource for African American Women?” Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment 17.3/4 (2008): 309-324. Medline. Web. 8 Oct. 2012. “HIV/AIDS and Social Justice.” Class PowerPoint Presentation. Sixth Week Part 1. 2012. “HIV/AIDS Overview: The Global Epidemic.” Class PowerPoint Presentation. Third Week. 2012. “HIV: Human Immunodeficiency Virus.” Class PowerPoint Presentation. 2012. Nunn, A., Cornwall, A., Chute, N., Sanders, J., Thomas, G., James, G., Lally, M., Trooskin, S., and T. Flanigan. “Keeping the Faith: African American Faith Leaders' Perspectives and Recommendations for Reducing Racial Disparities in HIV/AIDS Infection. Plos One [PLoS One], 7.5 (2012): e36172, 1-11. Medline. Web. 8 Oct. 2012. United States Census 2010 Census Data. Population. 2011. Web. 8 Oct. 2012. Read More