Fighting AIDS From the Pulpit

Leaders of black churches in the Washington, D.C., area are asking houses of worship to play a greater role in fighting the spread of HIV in the city, which has one of the nation's highest viral prevalence rates. An estimated 5% of D.C. residents are HIV-positive, and 2% have progressed to AIDS. Most of the HIVers are African-American. Ministers attending the Clergy Leadership Summit on HIV/AIDS called on their fellow preachers to talk with their congregations about HIV antibody testing, work to lessen AIDS-related stigma, and devote full-time church staff members to address HIV-related issues.