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Northwest editioN reachiNg seNiors iN illiaNa: cook, lake & Porter couNties
July 2024
Vol. 28, No. 4
www.seniorlifenewspapers.com
Black women can thrive, even with HIV Text and Photos by STEVE EUVINO Feature Writer
For most people, HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. For someone else, the letters mean Healthy, Inspired and Virtuous. That person submitted original artwork to Thriving, a program held in mid-June in downtown Hammond focusing on black women and HIV/AIDS. Several community groups, including AmeriCorps and The Aliveness Project of NWI, sponsored the afternoon program. Since its founding in 1984, The Aliveness Project has provided education, awareness, and support for those affected by HIV and sexually transmitted diseases. Why the concern over black women and HIV? The Black Women’s Health Imperative reports that every 15 minutes a woman tests positive for HIV in the U.S. Black women continue to be diagnosed with HIV at disproportionately higher rates than white and Hispanic females, according to a 2019 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. CDC also reports that HIV/AIDSrelated illnesses are among the leading causes of death for black women ages 25-34. Factors leading to this health issue, CDC states, include higher rates of poverty; lack of access to healthcare; higher rates of some sexually transmitted infections; lack of HIV awareness; and stigma about the disease, leading to a delay in treatment. According to Emma Garzella, a public health associate with AmeriCorps, “There are still a lot of stigmas, a lack of education. People don’t want to talk about it.” These stigmas, the CDC
STUDYING ART — Roxanne C. Mor
ton of Community HealthNet Centers
reports, include beliefs that only certain people contract AIDS; moral judgments about the disease; and the notion that people deserve to get the disease because of their life choices. Black women also face such barriers as lack of transportation, Garzella noted. She added that since HIV tests are not a regular part of health exams, women must specifically request these tests. “Our goal today is to bring awareness and celebrate women living with HIV or are affected by HIV,” Garzella said. The program featured original artwork by people affected Continued on page 2
studies a piece of original art at Thr
iving.
PANEL TALK — From left, Roxanne C. Morton of Community HealthNet Centers, Debra Stanley of Imani Unidad and Tammy Morris of The Aliveness Project of NWI lead a panel discussion at Thriving, a program on Black women and the human immunodeficiency virus.
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County 1st Office: Lake Plum County Office: 409Porter E. Lincolnway, Floor Creek Center Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 57 Street, Suite 203 409Franklin E. Lincolnway, 1st Floor Creek Center Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 222Plum Indianapolis Blvd., Suite 207 Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 222 Indianapolis Blvd., Suite 207 Phone: (219) 548-0980 Phone: (219) 548-0980 Schererville, Indiana 46375 Schererville, Indiana 46375 , LLC Phone: (219) 548-0980Fax: (219) 548-0993 Fax: (219) Phone/Fax: 227-4884 Fax: (219)548-0993 548-0993 Phone/Fax: (219)(219) 227-4884 *Certified as an Elder Law Attorney the National Elder Law Foundation *Certified as an Elder Lawby Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation
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