Imperative’s Valerie Rochester recognized for 25 Years of HIV/AIDS Leadership

“25 Years of AIDS/HIV Leadership & counting”

Congratulations to Valerie Rochester, Imperative’s director of program development and training . Valerie was recently recognized by the Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health for her 25 years of service as a women’s health and HIV/AIDS advocate.

She has served on multiple consultation panels convened by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and has also consulted with the Office of Minority Health, Health Resources and Services Administration, Office on Women’s Health, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration on strategies to better engage communities in the design and implementation of effective treatment, prevention and capacity building initiatives.

Read an interview with her below and learn how you can be an advocate for women in HIV/AIDS as well.  

1.      How does it feel to be recognized for your years of service by the Office on Women’s Health?

I have to admit, it is a bittersweet feeling.  When I first became involved in HIV work back in the late 80’s, I would never have imagined that I would still be doing this work almost 25 years later.  So while I am proud to have been involved in helping to make a difference in our communities and among Black women over the past several decades, I can’t help but feel a sense of sadness that we are still fighting this disease.

2.      Why did you become an HIV/AIDS and women’s health advocate?

My career in public health and my work addressing Black women’s health issues actually began with HIV.  I was raised in a family where we were taught to always “give back”, and I have always been involved in community work and in addressing social issues wherever I lived.  In the late 80’s I was working in the social services field, when I began hearing about this disease that attacked the immune system and was beginning to show up in our communities.  As I learned more about it, I knew that I wanted to be involved in educating and raising awareness about this issue, especially among women, so I volunteered to be trained as a national trainer for the American Red Cross African American HIV program and that is what started me on this  path. As I have continued doing this work, I have also come to realize why what we do is so important, and that there is great value and satisfaction in supporting Black women in not only increasing their knowledge and understanding about the risks for HIV, but also sharing information, tools and resources about how we can protect our overall health and wellness.

3.      Why is HIV/AIDS an important issue for women?

There is still so much misinformation and lack of awareness of the seriousness of HIV/AIDS among Black women, and the sense of urgency that once surrounded the epidemic does not seem to be as prevalent.  It is important to promote the understanding that any woman who is sexually active can be at risk for contracting HIV.  HIV/AIDS is an important issue for Black women because it goes beyond being just a public health issue, but is a social justice issue as well.  It is an issue that is driven by not just our gender, but by the realities that we all face on a daily basis as women.  It is a direct result of the communities where we live, the education we receive, the jobs we have, the relationships we are in, and the society in which we function.  We need to take an integrated approach and understand the importance of framing HIV and other STDs not as individual diseases, but within the context of our overall sexual and reproductive health and the realities of our lives as women and as Black women. 

4.      Why is it important for women to know their HIV status?

It is important for Black women to know their HIV status as an important step in protecting their own personal health and encouraging other women to do the same.   Our organization encourages this action and others as part of our national ELEVATE campaign, where we promote HIV testing as a basic part of our sexual and reproductive health care.  It is also important to know one’s status as a way to help open and expand the dialogue around HIV and to eliminate the stigma and stereotypes about who is at risk.  Too often it is easy for us to fall back on blaming men on the “down low”, when we should be challenging misconceptions and myths about why Black women are at risk, and encouraging and promoting open and honest dialogue with intimate partners, friends, family and our children.

5.      What advice would you give to a person wanting to become a HIV/AIDS or women’s health advocate?

There are a few things I would like to share and I want to begin by saying that many of us may be educating and advocating and not even realizing it.  If we talk to our friends or family about HIV, get tested, read an article…we are doing something.

Of course the obvious advice is to learn as much as you can about the issue – the more you know the more you can share with others.  Another is that it is very important for you to find ways to keep your passion for the work alive.  It may require stepping away temporarily to refresh and renew; and this is something that took me a long time to learn - taking care of self is important to the quality of the work we do for others.