The Black community’s overall lack of access to quality healthcare is regularly cited when the conversation focuses on diabetes, heart disease and various forms of cancer.
But that access deficit is also wreaking havoc with Black people in the realm of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
This is especially true in Houston.
Luckily, H-Town has an entity working hard to turn the tide—the TSU S.H.A.P.E. Initiative (TSI)—housed on the Texas Southern University campus.
TSU S.H.A.P.E. Initiative
The S.H.A.P.E. in the TSI stands for “Substance Use, Mental Health, HIV/AIDS Prevention Education.” TSI addresses health disparities in these areas by offering students and community members free and confidential in-person or virtual health screenings, comprehensive education, health resources, community-based referrals and service linkage.
TSI hosts community-based events and partners with entities to participate in health fairs, outreach, and engagement activities for individuals of all ages. It began operating in 2014 and is led by Dr. Grace Loudd, an associate professor in the TSU Department of Social Work. Loudd’s research focuses on sexual health and wellness, so heading TSI made perfect sense.
“Our department [of Social Work] worked together collectively to submit [and win] a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to offer more intensive HIV and Hepatitis C screening on campus and also targeting to communities that we thought could benefit the most, the Third Ward community and the Fifth Ward community,” said Loudd. “That was our start.”
Loudd said that over the years, TSI has moved from focusing on HIV and Hepatitis C to expanding its services, offering a full range of STI screenings, case management, ongoing educational services, outreach, service provider training and more.
When TSI conducted a needs assessment in 2014, they discovered that STI rates were highest in the Third and Fifth Wards zip codes.
“We also recognized that the accessibility to clinical services tended to be lower compared to the other communities. Since our goal is to lower barriers to the programs we’re trying to implement, we thought we’d have the most impact in those two communities,” added Loudd, whose initiative offers its services beyond those two communities, as well.
Explosion…
And according to the numbers, a significant impact is needed.
A recent Harris County Public Health report found that the Houston area has a higher rate of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections compared to the Texas average.
Whether chlamydia, congenital syphilis, gonorrhea, new HIV diagnoses, people living with HIV or total syphilis, Harris County, per the report based upon data collected from 2015-2022, has a higher-than-average rate of infections.
Individuals ages 45-64 (for example, Generation X members and younger Baby Boomers) make up the highest rate of persons living with HIV. However, Millennials and Gen Z members (persons ages 25-34) are leading the pack in new HIV diagnoses. But in all cases, the news is worse for Black people who, along with members of the multiracial community, experience the highest rates of HIV.
And the news is no better regarding other STIs. The highest rates of gonorrhea in Harris County were found in Black people between 15 and 24 years old. Syphilis cases, which more than doubled from 2016 to 2022, were most prevalent in the Black community, and in general, among those aged 25-34.
…Or something else
The area STI numbers scream explosion, but Loudd offers a slight pushback on that analysis.
Loudd points out that because people with HIV and AIDS are living longer, their numbers impact the total number of persons in Harris County with the condition, which, in a sense, is a good thing.
“It shows that the collective efforts that were being made regarding awareness and prevention, we are seeing that it’s been working,” said Loudd. “The people living with AIDS, they’re living longer lives, which means that the medication and the treatment, more people are using it and getting access to it.”
TSI work to be done
Still, Loudd recognizes there’s a lot of work to be done to change the reported reality that says STIs are impacting Black people more than any other Harris County demographic.
Loudd says TSI and Harris County as a whole are seeing a lot of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis cases, with previously mentioned rising numbers of HIV cases. The growing number of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis cases is alarming to Loudd because she describes them as “gateway STIs.” Individuals who have one of those conditions have an increased risk of contracting HIV if they come in contact with an individual who is HIV positive.
Rewarding
Though TSI’s work is serious and challenging, members of the TSI team, like intern Ryon Lee, say it’s rewarding and that TSI “is like home.”
“It can be a touchy thing when students come in, dealing with the issues of sex and STIs. But it’s a place where students feel comfortable,” said Lee. “TSI does an amazing job of addressing the issues of pre-marital sex, providing demonstrations for how to put on a condom, and just sharing key information about all of it—sex, STIs, etc.
“In the Black community, a lot of times, parents of HBCU students aren’t telling their children anything about sex. The initiative helps bridge those information gaps when students aren’t getting that information at home. I am so proud of being associated with TSI and the work we’ve done.”
For more information or to secure a TSI speaker or workshop presenter, call 713-313-1975/7426 or email tsushapeinitiative@tsu.edu.
