The Montrose Center hosted a resource fair on National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on February 7, 2025, bringing together more than a dozen community organizations and small businesses to advance health equity and health knowledge in Houston’s Black LGBTQ+ communities.
The event focused on critical goals: encouraging HIV testing, reducing stigma around an HIV diagnosis, connecting people with support resources, and promoting awareness about U = U (Undetectable = Untransmittable). U=U means when people living with HIV have access to effective treatment and follow their prescribed regimens, they can achieve and maintain an undetectable viral load, meaning they cannot transmit HIV through sex.
Events like the resource fair are important, as the most recent CDC statistics on HIV prevalence show that 22% of new HIV diagnoses occur in the South and 38% of new diagnoses affect Black/African American individuals (CDC 2022).
“National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is important,” said Tasha Ward, prevention program director at the Montrose Center. “It is important to acknowledge how HIV disproportionately affects the Black community. There have been many collaborative efforts in reducing HIV, but discrimination and mistrust in the healthcare system still prevents the Black community from seeking medical attention when necessary. Events like the resource fair help reduce stigma around HIV – the more we talk about it, the more opportunity we have to connect folks to care and prevention strategies.”
Attendees to the event accessed free community resources for people living with HIV or at a higher risk of contracting HIV, received free HIV testing, enjoyed entertainment, and learned about HIV prevention options like PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis), which is 99% effective at preventing HIV when taken as prescribed.
HIV care and prevention is an important, long-term focus for the Montrose Center as its comprehensive testing, outreach, and HIV support programs and services regularly impact more than 3,000 Houstonians annually. The Center will continue to organize and promote wellness and health-focused events to support and uplift the LGBTQ+ community.
“We’re preparing for events like National LGBT Health Awareness Week, International Trans Day of Visibility Rally, and other events in the coming months,” said Kevin Nguyen, the Center’s director of community engagement. “These initiatives not only provide important resources and information about our programs, but serve as a space for celebration and affirmation of the diverse identities and experiences within our community.”
The success of the National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day Resource Fair demonstrates the power of community collaboration in addressing health disparities and creating supportive spaces for all Houstonians. Through continued education, advocacy, and events like these, the Montrose Center remains dedicated to reducing barriers to care and fostering a healthier, more equitable future for the LGBTQ+ community.
