A community-partnered intervention to reduce HIV-related stigma and promote HIV testing through African American and Latino churches

Issues: Religious congregations in African American and Latino communities are uniquely positioned to address HIV. However, few have done so, in part because of HIV-related stigma and discomfort with harm reduction strategies.

Description: Through a partnership between a research organization, religious leaders, and a local health department, we developed a multi-component intervention to reduce HIV stigma and promote HIV testing through African American and Latino churches. The intervention, based on social psychological theory and our case study research, aims to propel congregants toward acceptance of people with HIV and testing. Specifically, it: educates congregants about HIV; provides contact with people with HIV through testimonials, role-plays, and simulated interactions; and offers on-site rapid HIV testing. We piloted this intervention in 5 congregations (2 small Latino Pentecostal, 2 medium-sized African American Baptist, and 1 very large Latino Catholic congregations) in communities highly affected by HIV.

Lessons Learned: We tailored implementation of workshops, pastor sermon, and testing events according to church size, organizational structure, worship and meeting schedules, space availability, and culture/language. Pastors and priests delivered a sermon on HIV that encouraged compassion and testing, although specific messages varied across congregations. Congregations preferred to hold testing events right after worship services, but it was challenging to reconcile large numbers of congregations seeking testing with requirements for confidentiality and proper test procedures. Recommendations: Pairing HIV stigma reduction and testing activities in congregations offers potential, but it is important to develop testing procedures that accommodate a fast flow of testers in a short time period.