“font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;”>They are talking sex in the church. And it’s about time.
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“You cannot look at a person and tell if he has HIV/AIDS,” said Sheila Grigsby, founder and director of Faith Communities United. “The only way to tell is a diagnosis by a physician.
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>At the Sister to Sister Saving Our Selves SOS Summit held recently at Christ the King United Church of Christ in St. Louis County, women and girls engaged in frank, non-judgmental discussion of sexuality, spirituality and HIV/AIDS prevention.
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>National HIV/AIDS awareness advocate Hydeia Broadbent was born HIV-positive. She began speaking out about HIV/AIDS because she saw so many of her friends engaging in behaviors that put their lives in jeopardy. Now in her twenties, her keynote address was about removing fears and stigma concerning HIV/AIDS.
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“If you meet someone who has HIV or AIDS, they have more reason to fear you than you do them,” Broadbent said, because of their weakened immune systems.
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The importance of knowing your HIV status and routine testing was stressed – at least once a year or every time you change sex partners.
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>About 270 women and girls from age 8 to 89 participated in the SOS Summit, and 67 were screened for HIV.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Better decisions
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Not having grown up in the church, Broadbent said she never felt she was living up to her potential. After finding God and re-examining her life, she said she is able to make better decisions.
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“When I wasn’t shown love at home, when I grew up and started dating, I didn’t know what love was supposed to be,” Broadbent said. “I went to therapy, I go to church and it plays a big part in the decisions that you make – your relationship with the Lord.”
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>One important decision discussed at the summit is choice of sexual partner and sexual behavior.
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“You really need to think about that person you are laying down with and who they are because you are a reflection of who you sleep with,” Broadbent said.
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“It’s not who you are – it’s what you do that puts you at risk for HIV,” Grigsby said.
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Grigsby warned against being influenced by one’s partner.
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“When we meet our sexual partners – the people we are attracted to – when they start to talk to us and they start to tell us things, they’re the ones who influence more than anyone else, because they are the ones who affirm us; they love us – and we want to be loved and accepted,” Grigsby said.
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“We need to have our own voice in our heads speaking louder than any of those other voices, telling us how to take care of ourselves, regardless of that moment that’s going to be a fleeting moment.”
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Something intergenerational
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“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The summit included workshops about the body, safe sex, self-esteem, self-respect and communication. Females of all ages learned from women of the gospel and women trained in medicine, counseling, education and patient advocacy.
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The Rev. Traci Blackmon, pastor of Christ the King, said through the workshop, God reached women of all ages, races and all walks of life.
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“The goal was to do something intergenerational, because so often when we talk about HIV and AIDS we have something for girls and something for adults – and the reality is that they are living in the same house,” said Blackmon. “Some of us are dealing with the same issues – just at different age ranges.”
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Blackmon remembered when children growing up had a lot of “mamas.”
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“In church, you used to have a lot of mamas, and it just doesn’t seem that way anymore and we need something in our communities that brings that connection back,” Blackmon said.
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Blackmon is now working with men at her church to develop a health session for men and boys.
“font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“I’m looking for some issue that will bring the teenage boys and the young boys in conversation with the older men,” Blackmon said. “What we are leaning towards is looking at violence as a health issue.”
