Mobilization
By Sharon Egiebor
Pennsylvania State Sen. Vincent Hughes is putting money where his mouth is. For the past three years, Hughes, (D) has pushed for and received millions of new dollars from the Pennsylvania state budget for HIV/AIDS in African Americans, with a good portion of the funds targeted toward young people. In 2004, Hughes added $1 million to the HIV/AIDS prevention budget, going to $7.8 million from $6.3 million. In 2005, the budget rose to $8.3 million. For 2006, Keystone Hospice, which treats AIDS patients, received a $500,000 grant from the Governor’s Redevelopment Assistant Capital Program to renovate its 19-room residence. He is seeking to add another million to the upcoming budget, Hughes said. “This is all new money that these organization have never had available,” he said. “We weren’t going to shift money from programs they were already working on. No, we didn’t have that luxury. We added new dollars to the equation.” Hughes said he believes Americans can win the fight against HIV/AIDS and reduce the number of new infections in several populations. “We need to change how we think about this disease. I’ve spoken to too many groups where everybody is all sad and down,” said Hughes, who was first elected to public office as state representative in 1987. “There is no sense of victory. There is no sense that we can win on this disease. Philadelphia County, Hughes’ home base, is particularly hard-hit by the disease, according to state health statistics. The estimated prevalence of HIV is almost three times greater than the statewide average. Hispanic and African Americans are disproportionately affected, accounting for 60 percent of total cases in recent years, although they comprise of only 12 percent of the population. The prevalence of AIDS in Philadelphia County also has been increasing. The percentage of Pennsylvania AIDS cases in Philadelphia County has grown to an average of 61 percent in 1997-2002 from an average of 53 percent in 1980-1993. “We can win on this disease,” said Hughes, as his voice rose with passion. “It is primarily a disease of behavior. It is not like cancer where out of nowhere it is in you. You change behavior. Obviously this includes being equipped with everything else that goes along with proper health – good health insurance and good information.” Hughes said changing perspective is the first step to changing behavior. He cited the success of lowering parent-to-child HIV transmission rates as an example. In 2004-2005, Hughes serves as honorary chair of the Circle of Care, a program designed to increase HIV testing for pregnant women. “The first thing you have to do is to claim victory. From that assumption to that attitude, then you basically order your steps and order your work. You have to get more money flowing and make sure the new money flows to where the disease is,” he said. Hughes learned about HIV/AIDS impact on African Americans in 1987 when he met with Rashidah Hassan, a Muslim nurse who founded BEBASHI (Blacks Educating Blacks About Sexual Issues) Transition to Hope, an AIDS service provider located in North Philadelphia where AIDS cases are the highest in the city. Hughes served on BEBASHI’s board for several years, said Gary Bell, executive director. “God Bless him. There are very few elected officials who are really taking on this fight against HIV,” Bell said. “It is certainly not something that most politicians must consider very sexy. “It would have been very easy for him to give us a lot of rhetoric, but he has actually put his money where his mouth his. And that is what makes it real to us,” said Bell, who took over leadership of BEBASHI 10 years ago. “It is not a bunch of empty promises. He has actually put money on the street.” Bell said his agency is using some of the $100,000 in state funds it received to conduct HIV/AIDS prevention workshops for at-risk youth. BEBASHI is working with young people living in state-sponsored group homes.
“We are using a curriculum that is a series of workshops for our youth looking at different issues -- peer pressures, behavior choices,” Bell said. “The funding has enabled us to do more than a one-time program. We work with youth over a series of weeks, where you have a better chance of reaching them.”
Bell said his agency also is using state funds to conduct outreach programs with local churches. Meetings are currently being held with several churches to arrange onsite rapid testing. Hughes, who recently married Entertainer Sheryl Lee Ralph, is part of the Black AIDS Mobilization Movement created by the Black AIDS Institute, the first national Black HIV/AIDS policy center dedicated to reducing HIV/AIDS health disparities. Hughes and Ralph were part of the largest African American political and social delegation ever to attend an International AIDS Conference in August. The delegation included leaders from eight historic African American organizations who pledge to have HIV/AIDS as part of their ongoing agendas and to work to reverse the high rates of infection among blacks by 2011. In March, Hughes participated in National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day Event announced a new testing and counseling campaign. He said he is negotiating with a Philadelphia company to arrange rapid HIV testing throughout Philadelphia. Rapid testing results are available within 20 minutes “With traditional testing usually takes about a one-week turnaround. In Philly, we have about a 40 percent drop off. People don’t come back,” he said. Because of the drop offs, Hughes said HIV/AIDS workers developed new programs. “We really try to be creative on the testing, utilizing dinners at restaurant, cosmetics, tickets to athletic games as incentives,” he said. “In other words, if you get tested you get a gift.” Philadelphia agencies partnered with Black AIDS Institute in 2004 for the Verizon Ladies First Tour featuring Beyoncy, Alicia Keyes and Missy Elliot to give concert tickets to individuals who returned for test results. Hughes and Ralph have hosted town hall meetings for young people and encouraged on-site testing. At one session, 100 youth were tested and at a following session, called “Can We Talk,” more than 300 people attended and 80 were tested, he said. Hughes' hands-on work and his leadership have been recognized both locally and nationally, according to his office. He was awarded the John Blue Award from BEBASHI. Black AIDS Institute recognized him with its prestigious Heroes In The Struggle Award in 2005. On Dec. 1, he will be recognized as one of three honorees to receive the Red Ribbon Award by the Center For AIDS Research at the University of Pennsylvania. “Here is the way I roll. I deal with all kinds of issues. I usually deal with issues that most folks don’t want to do, like sex. It is not easy. It is not fun to talk about HIV,” he said. “But if no one talks about it, what are you going to do?”