Meet Christina

Last week, Christina Adeleke joined our team as communications and development coordinator. Christina is a graduate of Lee University and Charlotte School of Law. She comes to us after working with Equality NC and the Freedom Center for Social Justice. Christina will be based in Charlotte and working out of Carolinas CARE Partnership, allowing us to increase our work in an area of the state with our highest HIV rate. Learn a little more about Christina below, and feel free to drop her a note at Christina@NCAAN.org. I know she's looking forward to getting to know our community! 

Orison Swett Marden said, “Success is not measured by what you accomplish, but by the opposition you have encountered, and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds.” In my short journey in life, I have learned that it is foolish to base your life on what you see instead of what you can imagine and dream for yourself.

Being the child of Nigerian immigrants definitely has had a unique impact on my upbringing. My parents came to the United States with a couple hundred dollars in their pockets and a desire to achieve the American Dream. They left a country with limited opportunities to the land full of opportunity. Leaving everything that they knew involved so many risks, but it was a gamble that they were willing to take. If coming to America allowed them to achieve their dreams, then America is where they needed to be.

My parents worked incredibly hard to find success in America and we were, by no means, the family with a money tree in our backyard. My mother worked nights and my father worked during the day so it was always difficult to make sure that my brothers and I were being watched. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches everyday were the norm. Things like Whoppers from Burger King were considered treats and days like Christmas were just another day. As a child, I was observant and aware of my surroundings. I encountered people who were in tough and hopeless situations. Even though my family was struggling, my parents always taught us to still reach out to those that were in need around us. Even as a child, I always had a strong desire to help the people around me. If it meant offering the little that I had to someone I felt needed it more than I did or sticking up for the classmate that was being bullied, I always felt the “need” to intervene the best way that I could. This “need” would definitely shape who I would become in the future.

Even though my parents eventually found success and achieved the American Dream, I did not forget where I came from or how I was raised. I did not forget the people who were in hopeless situations. I felt like the older I became, the more my eyes were opened to how bad people’s situations actually were. It was not just the fact that some people did not have enough to eat or a place to live. It was the mind-blowing fact that some people were ostracized because of who they loved or for simply being themselves. It was also the fact that the most vulnerable people were consistently overlooked by a government designed to “protect them” My heart broke for these people. I felt the “need” to step in somehow. These people who I had lived alongside of were in need of someone who could speak on their behalf.

I always knew that I wanted to dedicate my life to advocate for those who were unable or scared to speak for themselves. At that point, I knew I wanted to be a lawyer. As a lawyer, I would be able to stand alongside those who were in need and empower them to take control of their lives and better their situations. I would be able to provide justice for those who had been wronged. I would be able to be a voice for those who did not have a voice. I wish I did not have to do this, but we live in a fallen world. So many injustices go on around us in the world and not much is being done to help or prevent them from happening. If no one else is willing to do anything, then I will. I refuse to just sit there and let these things continue to happen as they are.  

With all of that being said, I am so honored to be a part of the NCAAN team. NCAAN has demonstrated and exemplified its core mission of improving the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS in North Carolina and I cannot wait to join the fight! I have big dreams of empowering the powerless and restoring what people could have been to who they can become. Let’s get to work!

Ending HIV in Women and Girls

35 years into the HIV/AIDS epidemic, I’m afraid many of us still hold the same misconceptions and stereotypes that were prevalent in the early days of this disease; such as HIV/AIDS is a disease that occurs exclusively among men who have unprotected sex with other men. And men in the United States are still diagnosed at higher rates than women. But nationally, about 25% of people livingwith HIV are women, and the vast majority of them contract the infection from heterosexual contact.  In North Carolina, 29% of those living with HIV are women, and black women have the highest rate of infection. While messages of practicing safer sex and addressing risky behaviors are good educational strategies for preventing transmission, we can’t ignore the larger cultural norms that can make women vulnerable to HIV in ways that many men may not be.

On National Women and Girls HIV Day, we take the opportunity to shine a light on this vulnerability, allowing us to develop more effective prevention methods. One vulnerability is the incidence of domestic and sexual violence many women face over their lifetimes. While men and boys can also experience this violence, women are much more likely to (particularly sexual violence). What does this mean in terms of HIV infections? Women who are in abusive relationships may have a difficult time negotiating condom use or safer sexual practices; and they may not always be able to negotiate consensual sex. Women who have experienced/are experiencing domestic and sexual violence are more likely to abuse drugs/alcohol, making them more susceptible to the risky behaviors that increase their risk of HIV infection. And in a vicious cycle, it’s been found that as women in abusive relationships are at a higher risk of contracting any STI, including HIV, those women living with HIV are also more likely to experience domestic violence.  And HIV+ women who are experiencing abuse have more health problems (such as depression) and a more difficult time managing their status than their counterparts who are not experiencing such violence.  

There are many effective strategies we can take to reduce these risk factors for women, including providing children and adolescents comprehensive, medically-accurate sex education that addresses consent and domestic/sexual violence. We also need to change our cultural norms that allow sexist and misogynistic violence to go unchallenged; and we need to hold abusers accountable for their actions. And in North Carolina, we can also expand Medicaid as an effective strategy in reducing risk. Not only will this provide women increased access to health care, HIV testing and treatment, and mental health services, but increasing access to our health care system can be an effective tool in preventing domestic violence.  35 years into this epidemic, we need to use every tool we have as we move closer to our goal of raising an AIDS-free generation.

- Tara Romano is the President of NC Women United. 

NC AIDS Action Network supports non-discrimination

We've written on our blog in the past about the intersection of (gay) marriage, HIV stigma, and LGBTQ rights. I'm reminded of how our issues intersect today as the Charlotte City Council prepares to debate and vote on proposed fully-inclusive non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ citizens. As the largest city in North Carolina, Charlotte sets a tone for the rest of the state, and we're hopeful that these ordinances will pass tonight. Mecklenburg County has the highest rate of HIV in the state, and we know residents struggling with an HIV diagnosis may also be struggling with their own understanding of their gender identity or sexual orientation. 

Our movement owes a note of thanks and appreciation to the many organizations who've been leaders on this issue, including our coalition partners Equality NC, MeckPAC, the Human Rights Campaign, and ACLU of NC. If you are a Charlotte resident and support the ordinance, you can attend the city council meeting tonight at 6:30 PM at 600 East Fourth Street. Wear blue in support of non-discrimination, and show up early if you want a seat. We'll be live-tweeting tonight's meeting. Earlier today I wrote the City Council the e-mail below asking them for their support of tonight's ordinance. Let's hope they do the right thing tonight. 

Dear Mayor Roberts and the Charlotte City Council, 

I know you've received a lot of messages about the non-discrimination ordinance you are voting on this evening, so I'll keep my comments brief. Our organization wrote you last year requesting that you pass the ordinances proposed at that time. On behalf of our statewide membership, including over 2,000 residents of Charlotte, I'm making that same request today.

Approximately half of all people living with HIV and AIDS in North Carolina are gay, bisexual, or transgender, and HIV stigma and homophobia are closely linked. They reinforce each other, and prevent individuals from being their true selves and accessing healthcare, employment, and basic accommodations. Not everyone in our communities has legal protection against discrimination, and you can take one small step to change that tonight. 

Please be in touch if I can answer any questions or provide information before your vote this evening. 

All the best, 

Lee Storrow 

Executive Director 

North Carolina AIDS Action Network

It's time to end disparities- National Black HIV/AIDS Day in North Carolina

Elected officials, faith leaders, and community advocates gathered at the North Carolina State Capitol on February 7th at 5 PM for I Am My Brother/Sister’s Keeper, a vigil for Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Speakers spoke about the importance of addressing the HIV disparities in the African-American community and the need to close the Medicaid coverage gap in North Carolina. “We need to make the African-American community more aware about HIV,” said Reverend Earl Johnson of Saint Martin Baptist Church. “Rates are increasing, and we must educate the community about HIV treatment and prevention.”

Former Wake County Superior Court Judge Abraham Jones delivered prepared remarks on behalf of State Representative Rosa Gill, stating “If North Carolina would close the Medicaid coverage gap, hundreds of HIV+ North Carolinians would have access to full health insurance. Closing the Medicaid coverage gap would provide health insurance to over half a million North Carolinians. A study done by the Cone Health Foundation and Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust found that closing the gap would generate millions of dollars in tax revenue, and would have created 29,000 jobs in our state in 2015, including over 3,000 here in Wake County.”

The event was sponsored by the Alliance of AIDS Services - Carolina, Crape Myrtle Festival, LGBT Center of Raleigh, Martin Street Baptist Church, North Carolina AIDS Action Network, North Carolina Justice Center, North Carolina NAACP, Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, and Triangle Empowerment Center, Inc.

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BACKGROUND:

February 7, 2016 marked the 16th year for National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD), a national HIV testing and treatment community mobilization initiative targeted at Blacks in the United States and the Diaspora. NBHAAD was founded in 1999 as a national response to the growing HIV and AIDS epidemic in African American communities. The national theme this year is “I am my Brother/Sister’s Keeper: Fight HIV/AIDS.”

The HIV and AIDS epidemic is a significant public health challenge in North Carolina. Currently, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services estimates that there are 36,300 people living with HIV in the state. Like the rest of the south, the epidemic is also defined by significant disparities based on race. According to the 2013 (most recent) North Carolina HIV/STD State Epidemiologic Profile-

Among the newly diagnosed adult/adolescent HIV infections, Black/African American males had the highest rate at 92.3 per 100,000 adult/adolescent population, which is nearly nine times higher than that for White/Caucasians (12.0 per 100,000 adult/adolescent population). For females, the highest rate by race/ethnicity was also among Black/African Americans females (24.7 per 100,000) adult/adolescent population.

One Year Late: Closing the Coverage Gap

By Lee Storrow, Executive Director, NC AIDS Action Network

Tuesday, December 15, 2015, is the final day to apply for health insurance on the exchanges created under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to guarantee coverage in 2016. 

Approximately 460,000 residents of North Carolina are already enrolled in ACA plans. The ACA was a landmark achievement to increase access to health care for all residents of our country, and will have a profound impact on our ability to fight HIV/AIDS.

In addition to creating competitive health insurance marketplaces, broadening Medicaid eligibility is an important component of the ACA's goal of increasing access to healthcare. Unfortunately, to date, our state's political leaders have failed to move on closing the coverage gap in North Carolina. Expanding Medicaid would provide health insurance to over 500,000 North Carolinians, including thousands of people living with HIV.

Expanding Medicaid wouldn't just improve the health of those living in our state, but it would also improve North Carolina's economic wellbeing. A year ago, the Cone Health Foundation and Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust released a report detailing the potential benefits of Medicaid expansion in North Carolina. The one-year anniversary of these findings provides an opportunity to look back on what this study shows we've missed out on in North Carolina in the meantime.

Over the course of this year, our state lost access to $3.3 billion in federal funding. Not only that, but more than 29,000 fewer jobs were created this year because of the state's failure to expand Medicaid. While many of these jobs would have been created in the health care industry, according to the study, "the economic benefits ripple out when health care providers purchase additional goods and services and as health care workers use new income to pay their mortgages, buy groceries, pay taxes and so on," leading to job creation in construction, retail and wholesale sectors, and other industries.

If we are serious about job creation and a healthier state, it's long past time for North Carolina to expand Medicaid.

Giving Back to North Carolina’s HIV Fight

By Jeffery Williams-Knight 

Many of us are drawn to the possibility of being a part of a movement that truly gives back and makes positive change in our communities, our state and beyond.

As a Charlottean, the supervisor of the Mecklenburg County Health Department’s HIV/STD Community Testing and Outreach Program, and as a board chair of the North Carolina AIDS Action Network, I’ve had the unique opportunity to be involved in public education, HIV/STI testing, community-building and HIV/AIDS policy advocacy. As a result of this type of work in my city and across my state, HIV/AIDS-related mortality rates are on the decline, attempts to weaken sex education in the state have thus far failed, and new drug treatments are limiting the impact of HIV.

Nevertheless, our fight is far from over. 

Mecklenburg County remains the epicenter of the HIV/AIDS fight in North Carolina, with the highest number of reported cases in the state. And our hard-fought campaigns continue to help maintain and expand our state’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program, close coverage gaps and expand Medicaid, increase access to comprehensive sex education and life-saving drugs like pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and fight the HIV stigma we saw so clearly in the days and weeks following Charlie Sheen’s disclosure of his HIV status.

Fortunately, a happy coincidence means help is on the way. 

In this season of giving thanks, I invite you to join me in becoming a part of this movement. I encourage you to be grateful for the HIV/AIDS advocacy that touches so many in this city, this county, this state and across the South. And I ask that you lift up this activism by investing today in the work that could end the blight of HIV/AIDS in our lifetimes.

So, as we commemorate World AIDS Day (Dec. 1) this week—a time to unite behind a global movement to end HIV/AIDS—it’s important to acknowledge that HIV advocacy has never been more important here at home.

Like World AIDS Day, #GivingTuesday falls on December 1st, following shopping holidays like Black Friday and Cyber Monday to unite a global community to look beyond oneself and give back. That’s why this week I’ll be giving back to our state and local HIV advocacy organizations with my commitment, my volunteerism and my wallet. After all, I’ve seen with my own eyes how these often unsung heroes can make a true difference in the fight against HIV/AIDS in my home city of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, and across North Carolina every single day.  All with a little support from their communities.

We’re told time and time again, “Charlotte’s Got A Lot.”  In addition to our many wonderful people and places, I believe this slogan also references our inexhaustible kindness, our goodwill, and our generosity. 

Now’s the perfect time to show it.

Jeffery Williams-Knight is a board chair of the North Carolina AIDS Action Network where you can donate today at ncaan.org.

#HTGAWM

by Lee Storrow I'm a big fan of trashy tv shows. There’s nothing better on a Thursday night than to sit back and escape your troubles by delving in the drama of #TGIT. Of the Thursday night lineup on ABC informally known as Shondaland (named for producer Shonda Rhimes), How to Get Away with Murder is my clear favorite. How to Get Away With Murder succeeds as a show because of its outlandish plot, compelling characters, and because it depicts the diversity of our daily lives. Viola Davis’ portrayal of Annaliese Keating won her the Emmy Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series this year, making her the first African American to win that award. A primary reasons I love the show is because of it’s portrayal of Connor and Oliver, a mixed-status gay couple. Oliver is the perfect boyfriend. Sweet and geeky, Oliver is the perfect foil to bad boy Connor. They had a rocky start to their relationship in Season One, but just as they were hitting their stride as a couple, Connor found out he is HIV positive.

Connor (Jack Falahee, left) and Oliver (Conrad Ricamora) face new struggles and triumphs in "How to Get Away With Murder" Season 2, including Connor's HIV status and use of PrEP.

While Oliver moped around for the season’s first few episodes after finding out the news, Connor didn’t let that be a barrier to continuing his relationship with the man he loved. He went on PrEP, and, shortly after, the couple moved in together. Connor and Oliver’s relationship should be celebrated for a positive and realistic portrayal of young gay couple finding their way in the modern world. Connor’s decision to go on PrEP and their discussions about it are the frankest I’ve seen on network TV in 2015. At the same time, the couple hasn’t been exclusively defined by Oliver’s HIV status. Recently Oliver has gotten more involved with work at the Keating Law Firm, a the couple experience friction trying to find work-life balance. And while the sex-lives of gay couples are often glossed over in pop culture--a kiss followed by a fade to black--that’s far from the case on How to Get Away With Murder for Connor and Oliver. At the end of last week’s episode, we saw several couples engaged in varying degrees of intimacy, the encounters all intercut with each other. In what might have been the hottest vignette of the four, Connor and Oliver were there in the middle--a picture of destigmatization of sexuality and HIV-status. I’ll be tuning in tonight to watch what happens next in the chronicles of Connor and Oliver on the mid-season winter finale. Our fight to combat stigma and make sure those living with HIV is often a political one that finds us in the halls of government buildings. But it’s a fight that we must fight in other venues as well, including those of pop culture of Hollywood. Visibility matters, and I hope to see more couples like Connor and Oliver on TV in the years to come. They aren’t perfect (who among us is) but their drama, messiness, and commitment challenges stigma and shows us a path forward for more representation in pop culture.

Lee Storrow is Executive Director of the North Carolina AIDS Action Network.