Montgomery, Alabama is one of the high burden areas of the state where Black cis and transgender women are disproportionately affected by HIV. The HIV Prevention in Women Radio Project or HiP Women RaP uses Pillar 3 of the Ending the Epidemic Program in it’s overall goal to decrease new infections of HIV by combining the innovation of community radio (www.wmulpfin.org) and focused HIV primary prevention programming targeting Black cis and transgender women primarily in the Montgomery, Alabama area.
The “Hip Women RaP” program will be produced and aired weekly with two hosts (one male and one female) who have a wealth of experience in the HIV prevention field in Alabama. Programming will focus on primary HIV education including abstinence, consistent and correct condom use, and pre-prophylaxis exposure prevention and non-occupational post-exposure prevention aimed at Black girls and women. Programming will also be heavily dependent upon evidence-based and culturally competent educational content and referral resources through strong partnerships with local AIDS Service Organizations (ASOs) such as Montgomery Advocacy Outreach, Selma AIR, Five Horizons, AIDS Alabama, and the AIDS Coalition of Alabama Board (ACAS), as well as National ASOs such as the National Black Women’s HIV Network NBWHN. Evaluation of proposal goals and objectives will be assessed through the comparison of pre- and post assessement of incidence HIV rates, use of primary prevention services, increases in radio station listenership, and increases in use of ASO services and referrals.
About the Hosts
Pamela Payne-Foster
Pamela Payne-Foster, MD, MPH, is a preventive medicine/public health physician and professor of community medicine and population health. She is also deputy director for Community Outreach for the College‘s Institute for Rural Health Research. Payne-Foster teaches medical students in the College’s Community Rural Medicine Clerkship, its Community Rural Medicine Ambulatory Acting Internship, and is a frequent Special Topics and Co-Enrolled Elective Instructor. She also teaches and interacts with undergraduate and graduate students at The University of Alabama in her role as coordinator of health-related service learning activities, and in research endeavors in rural and underserved communities in Alabama. Payne-Foster has research interests in: health disparities, including HIV/AIDS, obesity and diabetes; bioethics and medical ethics; and diversity and cultural competency issues in health care.
Reashanda White
Reashanda Prevo White is a social entrepreneur. She utilizes her knowledge, skills, and abilities to deliver education, awareness, resources, and support to individuals in underserved communities. Reashanda has two bachelor’s degrees, one in African American Studies and another in Sociology, both from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). She also has a master’s degree in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from Walden University.
Reashanda has over 15 years’ experience working in the field of HIV/AIDS (prevention and treatment). She has served in various roles in healthcare, academia, AIDS Service Organizations and community-based organizations across Alabama. Reashanda served as a consultant on several of AframSouth’s HIV/AIDS projects.
She has worked on a variety of women’s health, HIV and COVID-19 projects at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Reashanda is most credited for the development, implementation and management of grant-funded programs, projects and initiatives designed to educate and empower African Americans, particularly African American women, and teens. Reashanda has served on various community, local, state, and national boards, networks, committees, councils, and coalitions.
Also, Reashanda is the founder of the Ruby Lee Prevo Foundation. In addition, Reashanda is the founder of Pierce-White & Associates Consulting Company. Moreover, Reashanda is an active member at Mt. Joy Baptist Church-Trussville. Reashanda leads the efforts in planning and hosting health education programs to include HIV/AIDS Awareness, Worship in Pink Sunday Breast Cancer Awareness and Go Red-Heart Health for Women Sunday as well as Black History Programs and Civil Rights Trail Trips at the church.
More importantly, Reashanda is the wife of John and mother of Tiaya and John Jeremiah.