Table 2.
Participating Baltimore churches’ HIV-related programs, practices, and policies (N = 16)
| Characteristic | N (%) |
|---|---|
| Has established HIV/AIDS ministry | |
| No | 12 (75) |
| Yesa | 4 (25) |
| Provides HIV/AIDS education and awareness | |
| No | 4 (25) |
| Yes | 12 (75) |
| Provides HIV testing on-site during the previous year | |
| No | 11 (69) |
| Yes | 5 (31) |
| Holds HIV/AIDS support groups | |
| No | 13 (81) |
| Yes | 3 (19) |
| Provides case management for PLWHAb | |
| No | 15 (94) |
| Yes | 1 (6) |
| Church leader(s) attended a training on HIV/AIDS | |
| No | 7 (44) |
| Yes | 9 (56) |
| Church leader(s) are active in local HIV/AIDS coalition | |
| No | 13 (81) |
| Yes | 3 (19) |
| Facilitates candid discussion of risk reduction | |
| No | 8 (50) |
| Yes | 8 (50) |
| Affirms persons of all sexual orientationsc | |
| No | 8 (50) |
| Yes | 8 (50) |
| Facilitates candid discussion of risk reduction and affirms persons of all sexual orientations | |
| No | 12 (75) |
| Yes | 4 (25) |
| Formed local partnerships to conduct formal needs assessment of congregations' issues | |
| No | 14 (88) |
| Yes | 2 (12) |
All of the HIV/AIDS ministries were in churches with majority Black congregations. Two were in zip codes in the highest quartile for prevalence of HIV/ AIDS
Persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA)
These churches represent themselves as welcoming Christian churches (i.e., “gay friendly”). This does not imply that they are allowed to ordain gay ministers, perform holy unions, etc., as these issues are usually set at the denominational level and therefore outside of the auspices of individual churches. For the purpose of this study, affirmation means that the congregation welcomes and treats gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) persons with love and respect and does not consider homosexuality to be a sin