Black LGBTQ+ communities continue to experience some of the highest HIV rates in the U.S. due to structural barriers to affirming healthcare, economic exclusion, and the compounded effects of violence, housing insecurity, and stigma. These overlapping forces form a syndemic that puts Black LGBTQ+ people at disproportionate risk. While federal programs like the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative have invested over $500 million annually in HIV prevention and care since 2022—including $573 million in FY2024 and a proposed $593 million for FY2025—these funds have not always reached those of us most impacted (The Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy (OIDP), 2025).

Our HIV Counseling, Testing, and Linkage to Care program exists to fill that gap, offering culturally grounded, community-led services that provide free and confidential HIV/STI testing, risk-reduction counseling, and direct support for navigating care and prevention tools like PrEP and PEP. HIVLTC integrates physical wellness into a broader holistic health strategy, ensuring that Black LGBTQ+ individuals have access to free, confidential HIV/STI testing, risk reduction counseling, and prevention tools, including PrEP and PEP referrals. For those who test positive, we provide direct linkage to affirming medical care and social service navigation, connecting individuals to essential resources such as housing, employment, and mental health support.

By embedding HIV prevention and care within our programs, using a syndemic approach, HIVLTC goes beyond treatment—it actively works to dismantle structural barriers to healthcare access while fostering long-term health outcomes, self-efficacy, and community resilience. To this end, we have hired a contract HIV tester who will be present at events to administer tests and connect those who test positive to the University at Chicago, whom we have formed an integral relationship in an effort to facilitate LTC and enhance accessibility to HIV/STI care.