The veil of secrecy removed - breaking the generational curse regarding HIV and substance misuse

Life unleashed an era of addictions and disease among communities that are marginalized. The 'Veil of Secrecy' has cross-contaminated the lifestyles of those that are incarcerated, rural, youth, elderly, men, women, and the LGBTQ community. Secrecy nurtures disease because it provides an environment conducive to the spread of infection. Over the last forty years many of us have come to know about a virus with a cure that has so far eluded us. Some of us learned about this virus through news reports, others encounter the devastation of this virus on a more personal level. African American men and women account for a large number of new cases of those infected with HIV/AIDS. We could recite statistics, but that won't save us. We are still often too silent in the places where we seek peace, cry and shout praises the most. We have to deal with the silent stigma/trauma that is ravaging our communities from a holistic perspective addressing secrecy, shame and guilt.

The underserved multicultural population is affected in many ways including social economic, substance misuse, mental health, sex working, sex abuse history, and lifestyles associated with trauma informed care.

This webinar is designed to address the silent stigma of HIV/AIDS and its connection to addictions in the United States. Sexually transmitted diseases and other health disparities combined with addiction issues are catastrophically affecting underserved communities. The 'Veil of Secrecy' offers service providers practical approaches to dealing with addictions and silence stigma from a holistic harm reduction perspective.