This session is intended to provide a comprehensive overview of the current landscape of HIV prevention for Black women—from both a Health Department and HBCU perspective, emphasizing the need for culturally competent, multimodal strategies that are feasible and scalable. Participants will gain insight into practical approaches for reducing HIV and STI risk among one of the most vulnerable populations in the U.S.

Health Department staff will highlight the benefits of engaging with the community in several ways, including, the engagement of community based organizations in a Black women’s microgrant program aimed at supporting existing programs to increase their capacity to deliver health and wellness services to cisgender Black women in the District of Columbia and staff from an HBCU will share details of programming recently launched to empower Black women by pairing educational and arts initiatives through strategic partnerships with other Universities and non-profit organizations dedicated to HIV prevention.