Finally!

After working with women for the last 12 years, I have finally turned my attention towards men. This week TruthAIDS kicked off it's second Philadelphia community partnership with the E3 center targeting young African American men as part of a Fatherhood mentorship program. The program was a direct result of an HIV prevention outreach session conducted in February where a group of young men asked us to help them mobilize about the health problems facing them, namely violence. The Fatherhood program will run weekly and has 22 participants. The first session was discussing violence and the young men had plenty to say.

Listening quietly, I heard a voice I rarely see in the clinic. Due to biology, women start health screenings early with PAP smears, contraception and pregnancy. But young men, rarely, if ever, come in to see the doctor. This makes them a hard group to reach. Yet, the work that TruthAIDS has done with gender equity and HIV prevention makes it clear that their voice has a formative role to play. So, I have been waiting to find male TruthAIDS allies to help carry this work forward and am thrilled to have found David Johnson at the E3 center. His commitment, enthusiasm, and principles insure that this new partnership is a match made for success. I have a lot to learn, but am hopeful with time the lessons will lay out a path to follow.