Today is World AIDS Day. For over 30 years, BWHI has lived this year’s theme, the Right to Health, in its mission and its vision for the health and wellness of Black women. Today we are elated to announce the launch of The New Network, The New Normal, a national strategy to improve sexual health and HIV outcomes for Black women. The New Network, The New Normal is supporting collaborations, solutions, and policies guided by the lived realities of Black Women related to HIV, reproductive health and overall wellness.
Through the New Network, The New Normal, BWHI is creating a national network of Black women’s and other organizations to strengthen community assets, deliver innovative solutions and make a lasting impact on the health and wellness of Black women and other women of color.
BWHI and our partners and collaborators recognize that this year’s World AIDS Day Theme—The Right to Health, is essential to Black women today and EVERYDAY. The New Network, New Normal is a vehicle to build partners, transform policies, innovate research and foster and sustain health, agency and choice for Black Women nationwide.
As we commemorate World AIDS Day, and think about the mothers, daughters, sisters and friends that we have lost to this epidemic, and all the women who must live with the physical, emotional, social and economic impacts of HIV/AIDS, let’s put our minds around how we, as individuals, community members and organizations put words to action. At BWHI, we have always known that the collective power of Black women is what will move the needle on our health and wellness. Through The New Network, The New Normal, BWHI is creating a platform for the voices that help give a very public and real face and story to the statistics in our communities.
HIV/AIDS in the Black community is real. The statistics for Black women are still staggering. HIV/AIDS diagnoses among women overall has declined sharply, however over 60 percent of women diagnosed each year are Black women. To be more specific, for every White woman who is diagnosed this year, there are 20 Black women who are diagnosed.
Look to BWHI to be the repository of evidence-based HIV prevention and sexual health language, messaging and imagery. The network is building a strategic and comprehensive HIV prevention agenda, that incorporates the lived experiences of Black women into HIV prevention research, policy development and program practice.
Over the coming weeks and months, we will be sharing more on the work of The New Network, The New Normal, here on our site, and on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
Get Covered Now
Also, we would be remiss on this World AIDS Day if we didn’t remind you that including today, there are exactly 15 days left to participate in open enrollment to get health care in 2018 under the Affordable Care Act. It provides Black women access to HIV/AIDS testing, diagnoses and treatment, including the access to life-saving medications and a constant connection to medical care. Get covered now at www.healthcare.gov #enrollher17