New UAB HIV/AIDS Initiative Targets Black Churches

UAB has begun a new program aimed at developing partnerships with African-American churches to address the growing rate of HIV infections in the black community.

Posted on March 7, 2002 at 10:50 a.m.

BIRMINGHAM, AL — UAB has begun a new program aimed at developing partnerships with African-American churches to address the growing rate of HIV infections in the black community. The African-American HIV Initiative will be conducted under the auspices of UAB's 1917 Outpatient AIDS Clinic, and led by Chris Hamlin, D.Min.

"It will bridge the medical and African-American communities," says Malcolm Marler, D.Min., chaplain with UAB's 1917 Clinic. "It will connect us with caring people in the community to raise awareness and education of HIV/AIDS, to offer compassionate care to those infected with HIV/AIDS and to encourage early testing by those at-risk for the disease. Dr. Hamlin is an experienced, knowledgeable and respected minister and leader in the black community and the ideal person to run this program. We are fortunate to have him."

Facts provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reflect the growing epidemic among the black community:

  • More than 50 percent of new HIV infections occur among African-Americans.

  • AIDS is the leading cause of death for black adults ages 25 to 44.

  • One in 50 black men is HIV-positive. One in 160 black women is HIV-positive.

  • While only 15 percent of the adolescent population in the United States is black, more than 60 percent of AIDS cases reported in 1999 among 13- to 19-year-olds were black.

  • Black children represent almost two-thirds (62 percent) of all pediatric AIDS cases.

  • Globally, it's estimated that blacks account for 80 percent of all AIDS-related deaths.

"When I was growing up, human sexuality — much less homosexuality — was a taboo subject in the church," says Hamlin. "In light of the sexual revolution of the 70s and 80s and in light of what we know is going on in our congregations, these are now subjects that we must talk about."

Community organizations already exist that focus on HIV/AIDS awareness and education; however, UAB's program will specifically target black churches. "The church is the strongest, most influential institution within the black community," says Hamlin. "So it is the most natural place for this initiative to begin.”

Hamlin is aware that conservative congregations may be reluctant to embrace safe sex teachings but believes information is the best armor in the fight against HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. "Let's be open and honest about what's going on," says Hamlin. "The reality is that every congregation is affected by HIV/AIDS."

Hamlin will soon begin meeting with ministers in the black community. "The most basic role of the church is to care for those who are sick, those who are lonely, those who are in need," says Hamlin. "It's not the church's role to judge or ridicule. This is an opportunity for churches to serve the needs of their members, which is why the church is there."

Prior to accepting his new position with the 1917 Clinic, Hamlin served as assistant to the provost and was responsible for the UAB Volunteer Corps and the Birmingham Institute for Aesthetic Education. Before joining UAB in 2000, he was the minister of Birmingham’s renowned 16th Street Baptist Church for 10 years. He received his bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College in Atlanta, his He master’s of divinity from Colgate Crozer Theological Seminary in Rochester, N.Y., and his doctorate of ministry from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.