Pastors' Spouses Learn About the Importance of HIV

The National Coalition of Pastors’ Spouses invited the National HIV Testing Mobilization Campaign to conduct workshops on the importance of HIV testing at two training sessions in Brooklyn, NY, on May 28, and in Atlanta on June 3.

The National Coalition of Pastors’ Spouses is an organization of more than 2,500 pastors’ spouses who are dedicated to improving education and awareness of diseases and social problems that detrimentally impact minority communities.

Pastors’ spouses from a variety of faith communities attended the training sessions and learned about the impact of HIV/AIDS on the African American community and why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all sexually active Americans, ages 13-64, be tested for HIV as part of their routine health care.

They also learned about what faith communities can do to promote HIV testing and reduce the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS, including the following:

• Educating faith community leadership and members about HIV/AIDS and HIV testing
• Encouraging members of the faith community to get tested
• Setting a leadership example by having ministers tested
• Partnering with local healthcare providers or community-based organizations to provide testing onsite at the faith community
• Providing pastoral care and post-testing counseling for those individuals who test positive
• Learning what is required to become a certified HIV testing site
• Speaking out publicly to address stigma.

To complement these training workshops, the National HIV Testing Mobilization Campaign hosted information booths at both events and disseminated fact sheets on HIV testing. Many of the pastors’ spouses expressed their eagerness to get more involved in the fight against this devastating disease.