By: Kamoria Reese
In this new audio blog series, I interview fellow college students to learn how they stay safe dating and the biggest concerns they face. I hear honest insights into the challenges of dating in college and what they desire in a partner. They also offer practical advice and describe their dating lives in just three words. Together, their experiences and perspectives offer valuable insight, support and relatability for anyone dating in today’s world.
The first interview is with Ashley, a college freshman majoring in Health Science with a minor in Biology. Ashley is actively dating in college and is hoping to find her lifelong partner. In this recording, we’ll talk about her dating standards, beliefs, and goals. She will also share advice for others who might also be dating in college.
By: Kamoria Reese
Want to take control of your sexual health? Here are seven simple, effective ways to practice safe sex. Whether you’re in a committed relationship or exploring new experiences, these tips empower you to stay safe without sacrificing pleasure.
1. Using a Contraception
Condoms and other contraceptives help prevent unwanted pregnancies and reduce the risk of STIs. Always use them correctly and consistently for maximum protection.
2. Setting Boundaries
Communicate openly with your partner about your limits and what makes you comfortable during sexual interactions. Healthy boundaries create a respectful and safe sexual environment.
By: Kamoria Reese
If you’ve ever had a STD or HIV scare, you’re not alone. Prevention is the best way to stay confident and clear of your status, but knowing what to do when you have doubts can make all the difference. Acting quickly and responsibly not only protects your health, but also the well-being of others. These five essential steps will guide you through what to do, if you think you’ve been exposed.
1. Avoid Sexual Activity
It’s important to pause any sexual contact. until you’ve received medical advice and your test results. This helps prevent the possible spread of the infection to others.
By: Kamoria Reese
If you’re sexually active or thinking about becoming sexually active, there are some important facts you need to know to stay safe, healthy, and confident. This quick guide breaks down 10 essential things every sexually active person should know.
1. Understanding Your Body
Knowing how your body works helps you recognize what’s normal and when something might be wrong. It empowers you to make informed decisions about your sexual health.
2. Knowing Your Rights
By Matthew Wiggins
I’m Matthew Wiggins. I am a senior at Howard university who graduated in May 2024 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Strategic Communications and a minor in community development. In my last semester, I joined a class called CapComm Lab. This class is designed to provide students with firsthand experience in the field of communications through actively working for different clients who need communications-based work. In my case, I was tasked with assisting with the HU Empower Grant, which is a multipronged HIV awareness initiative by Howard University and a premiere national HIV nonprofit, HealthHIV.
By Matthew Wiggins
In clinics and counseling rooms across the United States, a battle is being fought. This is the battle against HIV stigma. For HIV positive Black women, this battle often determines their identities, mental and physical health, confidence, and how society perceives them.
I connected with Dr. Daniels, a psychologist who has dedicated much of her career to working with HIV positive Black women, to share her thoughts and opinions. After being informed of the HU Empower Grant, Dr. Daniels was invited to talk about what makes mental and physical HIV treatment most effective for Black women. These are words of wisdom that Dr. Daniels espoused, in the form of several quotes:
By: Matthew Wiggins
Angela is insightful, Black, and HIV positive.
Most importantly, she is trying to create a quality of life for herself, which most people take for granted. For Angela, that quality of life means long-term dating, marriage and the opportunity to create a family. Statistics show that many others are in the same situation. In fact, in May 2024, the Center for Disease Control noted infections Black and African-Americans outpaced their percentage in the U.S. population. Now, Angela is dating an individual who does not know that she is HIV positive, and she struggles to relay this to him, out of concern for how it would affect their relationship.
Sickle cell disease primarily affects about 100,000 Americans, and greater than 7 million people worldwide. Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a group of genetic disorders that affect red blood cells, causing them to become shaped like crescents or sickles. The sickle-shaped cells can travel through the bloodstream, getting stuck and cutting off blood flow, leading to intense pain and organ damage. Patients with SCD may experience chronic pain and have learned to manage frequent acute pain crises, leading some providers to mistakenly view them as drug seeking individuals. Thus provider bias often leads to inadequate pain treatment, with healthcare providers sometimes labeling patients as lazy, drug-seeking, or addicts.
Internalized Stigma & the Environment: Reflections from a Photo Narrative Project
Authors/Contributors: Internalized Stigma Interest Group
The Internalized Stigma Interest Group, of the Howard University annual International Conference on Stigma, is a network of people interested in promoting the awareness and reduction of internalized stigmatization of all types of oppression, especially related to stigmatized health conditions such as HIV, mental health challenges, sickle cell, and substance use challenges. We are activists and academics, people with lived experience, researchers, program workers, clinicians, students, and many other things – sometimes within a single individual! Everyone is welcome. We meet monthly over Zoom video-conference and have an email group. Both are used to exchange ideas and resources to support each other’s varied efforts.
Silent No More: The Perspective of Heterosexual Men Living with HIV
by Temitope Creppy, Senior, Howard University
“I was refused treatment because I refused to say I was homosexual.” These are the words of a 50-year-old African-American man diagnosed with HIV who was wrongly discriminated against and denied medical treatment due to stigma that persists in the healthcare environment. Healthcare professionals doubted his relationship with his wife, and people in his daily life still consider him homosexual because he lives with HIV. Unfortunately, across the country this is the reality of a majority of heterosexual men who live with HIV and experience stigma on a day-to-day basis. A Howard University workgroup named Positive EntreEmpowerment Heterosexual Men’s Workgroup and their associated Straight and Positive support group, support heterosexual men living with HIV and combating the stigma they face on a day-to-day basis. The workgroup consists of primarily men from around the country, largely from Cleveland, Ohio, Texas, and Florida ranging from those who have been living with HIV for several decades to recently diagnosed individuals. The group is inclusive of all racial and socioeconomic backgrounds.
