FOR NATIONAL PREP DAY: BLACK-LED ORGANIZATIONS SPOTLIGHT PDiBA’S MISSION TO ADVANCE HIV PREVENTION IN BLACK COMMUNITIES

Following National PrEP Day, PDiBA National Coalition issues a statement on PrEP awareness and HIV prevention in Black communities.

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, October 12, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Following National PrEP Day on October 10th, the PrEP Desirability in Black America (PDiBA) National Coalition releases a statement, reaffirming its commitment to increasing awareness, access and acceptance of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as a powerful tool in HIV prevention. National PrEP Day serves as an opportunity to educate communities about PrEP, challenge stigma and ensure that more people understand their HIV prevention options.

The Black community continues to bear a disproportionate burden of the HIV epidemic in the United States, underscoring the urgent need for equitable access to HIV prevention, education, testing and treatment.

The main goals of PDiBA is simple: getting PrEP into more Black bodies vulnerable to HIV transmission. And most importantly, ensuring that those individuals living with HIV are physically and mentally well; on a medication that suppresses their HIV below detectable levels; and they have the support needed to adhere to their treatment until there’s a cure.

PrEP is a highly effective medication for people who do not have HIV. When taken as prescribed, it can reduce the risk of acquiring HIV through sexual exposure by approximately 99 percent. Despite these advances in HIV prevention, too many people in Black communities continue to face barriers to accessing PrEP, including limited awareness, stigma, misinformation and inequities in healthcare.

The leadership of PDiBA shares its perspectives on National PrEP Day and what it means for the health and well being of Black people nationwide.

“Our goal on National PrEP Awareness Day is to ensure thar every Black gay man is aware and knowledgeable about PrEP; that every guy living with HIV is healthy and virally suppressed; and every guy vulnerable to HIV transmission knows how to get the PrEP he needs. We want more Black gay men to use the PrEP tools available. Whether it’s a pill a day or yearly injectables, twice a year, it’s a choice worth making."
—Ernest Hopkins, chair of the National Black Gay Men’s Advocacy Coalition (NBGMAC)

“Black women must be at the center of these conversations—not as an afterthought, but as informed, empowered voices who can help shape the health and well-being of their families and communities. Our campaign, ‘If You’re Not Talking to Black Women, You’re Not Talking to the Black Community,’ reinforces the importance of listening to Black women, providing them with culturally relevant information, and ensuring they have access to the tools and resources needed to make informed decisions about HIV prevention. When Black women are informed and empowered, the entire community benefits.”
—Grazell Howard, board chair and managing director of the Black AIDS Institute

“For National PrEP Day, we call on partners nationwide to stand with Black women and girls as we demand an HIV prevention system rooted in dignity, shaped by equity and engineered for protection. This moment requires courage and collective action. Our communities deserve nothing less.”
—Dr. Ivy Turnball, chair of the National Black Women’s HIV/AIDS Network Inc.

“A decade into PrEP, Black America is still being left behind—not due to indifference, but because prevention systems never centered us. Research shows awareness isn’t enough. Navigation barriers persist, especially for young people and the Black transgender and gender-diverse communities.”
— Christopher Chauncey Watson, PhD, MHS, principal investigator, PDiBA, Morgan State University

In keeping with National PrEP Day, PDiBA calls on community leaders, healthcare professionals, public health organizations, policymakers and advocates nationwide to join the effort to advance a future where HIV prevention is accessible, affirming and equitable for all.
When PrEP is understood, accessible and embraced, we move closer to an HIV-free future.

ABOUT PREP DESIRABILITY IN BLACK AMERICA (PDiBA)
PrEP Desirability in Black America (PDiBA) National Coalition is a national decision and implementation engine to improve PrEP desirability, access and sustained use among Black communities. The coalition is led by National Black Gay Men’s Advocacy Coalition (NBGMAC), the Black AIDS Institute (BAI), the National Black Women’s HIV/AIDS Network, Inc., Us Helping Us (UHU) and Morgan State University’s Center for Urban Health Equity (its academic home). PDiBA is Black-led and funded to date by its founding members.

For more information about PDiBA, visit the website of NBGMAC at www.NBGMAC.com.

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Wyllisa R Bennett
wrb public relations
+1 310-266-9704
wyllisa@aol.com