Feb. 7 marked National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD), an annual observance to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS prevention and the disproportionate impact of HIV on communities of color nationwide.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), Florida tops the list of states with the largest number of HIV cases among Black people. KFF reports in 2022, Black gay and bisexual men accounted for almost half of Black people living with HIV. Among Black people, male-to-male sexual contact accounted for more than 60% of HIV diagnoses in 2022 and a majority of diagnoses among Black men.
These statistics fuel Lorenzo Lowe's passion for his work. Lowe is a patient navigator and network specialist at Midway Specialty Care Center in Atlantis. Since 2018, he has worked to prevent HIV and educate vulnerable communities.
"Seeing individuals soar when they take control of their sexual health and their overall health, that's the win for me," said Lowe.
Lowe says stigma and lack of education remain significant hurdles for communities of color.
"There's still a lot of work to do when looking at the current environment of stigma, misinformation, and lack of open communication surrounding health," he said. "As 2025 continues, it seems like the climate is changing; I become very worried when it comes to caring for everyone. But I remain hopeful."
Knowing your status is the first step toward effective HIV prevention. Using appropriate prevention strategies, such as taking pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and using protection, is another way to prevent risk.
"PrEP is one of the cutting-edge preventative medications that we have now to prevent HIV," said Lowe. "There are people who still believe that PrEP is only for people who are in the LGBT community, and that's also something that's not true. That's why we think testing and doing assessments are so critical. I have been on PrEP for over a decade, I have been an advocate of it myself, and that is one reason why I'm a testament that PrEP works. It is another essential level of protection, especially for me.”
In Florida, you can get tested for HIV at county health departments, or you can test yourself at home. You can also use the Know Your HIV Status website to learn about testing options and order a free at-home test kit.
Organizations such as Care Resource, Latinos Salud, and AHF offer free HIV testing in Broward County. For more information, visit sunserve.org/media/1213/broward-hiv-testing-locations.pdf.
