Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this piece are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the position of Positive Women’s Network – USA. 

March 20, 2018

by Kamaria Laffrey, PWN-USA Inaugural Policy Fellow

Ten years ago, I had the opportunity to stand before an audience of approximately 200 case managers and stakeholders in the state of Florida and share my story as a woman living with HIV. This was the FL DOH launch of the Sistas Organizing to Survive campaign to address the HIV transmission rates of Black women in Florida. Women gathered and took a pledge to help drive the goal to test 100,000 Black women through the state of Florida. That goal was surpassed in one year; however for 15 consecutive years, HIV/AIDS has been the leading cause of death among Black women aged 25-44 in Florida. In light of this, the FL Dept. of Health, the Black AIDS Institute and supporting organizations through the state have revived the campaign with pop-up pledge events in Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando, Gainesville and Tallahassee.

This is full circle and special to me because participating in this testing initiative and learning how to be my sister’s keeper was the springboard into the advocacy I take part in today. I was honored this March to be asked to do a social media workshop in Orlando for the pop-up pledge event and give back to the women that have poured into me. Showing community partners ways to elevate their conversations with the community via social media and how to increase their impact on topics of PrEP, condom negotiation, and the stigmas around being empowered in our sexual health; was an amazing experience. I look forward to working with the seasoned advocates that created a safe space for me and lifting up the new advocates that have been waiting to come out of the shadows. This National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, I will continue to honor the pledge I took ten years ago:

  • It is with love that I pledge to educate Black women about HIV/AIDS
  • It is my duty to empower Black women to take control of their sexual health.
  • I will commit to connect Black women to HIV/AIDS resources
  • I pledge to offer tools to enable Black women to educate others where they live, work, play and worship.
  • I pledge to get tested for HIV and educate my sistas about HIV and encourage them to be tested where they live, work, play and worship. It is my duty as a SISTA to ORGANIZE to SURVIVE!

#SistasOrganizingToSurvive #SOS #BlackWomenAndPrEP #NWGHAAD