Why Asking for Help Is a Sign of Strength: Lessons from HIV Advocacy and Community Building

By Monroe Russell

August 6, 2026

As college students, we’re often expected to have everything under control.

Wake up. Go to class. Join organizations. Maintain friendships. Think about internships. Plan for the future. Repeat.

Somewhere along the way, many of us start believing that asking for help means we’re falling behind. I know I’ve felt that pressure.

[read more]

“You Knew Better”— But Who Taught Me?

By Ta’Ajha Reyes

August 6, 2026

Growing up, I understood one thing about sex: I was not supposed to have it.

I heard warnings like “don’t get pregnant,” “don’t be fast,” and “tell me if somebody touches you.” What I did not receive were honest conversations about consent, healthy relationships,

STIs, contraception, or what it actually meant to be ready. I knew sex was something that could [read more]

More Than Just a Number: Why Our Sexual Health Is Deeply Interconnected 

By Brielle Collins

June 16, 2026

Have you ever heard anyone say, “When you sleep with someone, you sleep with everyone they’ve slept with?” It’s an old phrase used to teach the dangers of sleeping with multiple partners, but what exactly does it mean?  

It’s the idea that when you sleep with someone, you increase your [read more]

What are the biggest obstacles to black women getting tested for HIV?

By Brielle Collins

June 1, 2026

There are times when the numbers don’t make sense. Since the AIDS/HIV epidemic, U.S. Black people have been disproportionately affected. This statistics is even more concerning when it comes to Black women.

Despite accounting for only 13% of women in the United States, Black women accounted for 60% of new HIV diagnoses among women in 2021 and 50% of the same figure in 2022.  Increasing HIV testing and expanding access to prevention tools like [read more]

Reflecting on Another Successful International Conference on Stigma

February 7, 2026

As the new year begins, it is always a good time to reflect on the positive aspects of the last year. For those working to end stigma, the International Conference on Stigma is an integral part of those efforts.

The 16th Annual International Conference on Stigma was a hybrid conference held from November 18-20, 2025. With two days virtual and one day in-person at Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C., about three hundred people participated [read more]

The Overwhelming Concept of Contraception

By Brielle Collins

January 26, 2026

Entering college, the decision of whether or not to get on birth control loomed over me. There were endless options and, most importantly, pages of seemingly threatening side effects that felt like they would alter my life. Overall, navigating sexual health and wellness as a woman gets unnecessarily complicated, incredibly overwhelming, and completely impossible. 

You don’t want to get pregnant, but sometimes you don’t want to rely solely on a condom. You start weighing your options, scrolling through TikTok, Googling late at night, and talking to friends about the potential side [read more]