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HIV is often treated like a problem from the past; an epidemic that once tore through communities with devastating force is now, seemingly, under control. Today’s treatments are highly effective. People with HIV are living long, healthy lives. All of that is true. But it does not tell the whole story. For many Black Oklahomans, HIV remains a present and preventable issue shaped by access, trust, and equity.
Black residents continue to represent a disproportionate share of new HIV diagnoses in Oklahoma. Nearly 1 in 4 new HIV diagnoses in our state are among Black residents, who make up just 8% of the state’s population. This disparity is not about behavior or a lack of concern for health. It reflects whether prevention tools are reaching communities in ways that are accessible and free from stigma. Public health does not succeed simply because medicine exists. It succeeds when people can realistically use it.
One of the most effective HIV prevention tools available today is PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis. Like medication used to prevent high blood pressure or manage diabetes, PrEP is a proactive decision that reflects care for oneself and others. Available as a daily pill or long-acting injection, PrEP can reduce the risk of acquiring HIV by up to 99% when used consistently and correctly. It works. Yet awareness and consistent access remain uneven, particularly in Black communities.
The barriers are often structural rather than medical. Limited access to culturally responsive providers, transportation challenges, inconsistent insurance coverage, and medical mistrust rooted in both history and lived experience all play a role. Add persistent HIV stigma, and even the most effective medication can feel out of reach. Access alone is not enough; trust and cultural responsiveness are equally essential.
HIV prevention must be community-centered. Trusted spaces such as faith institutions, barbershops, beauty salons, and known, trusted organizations are central to effective outreach. At Guiding Right, prevention efforts are designed to meet people where they are. We offer culturally grounded HIV education, testing referrals and linkage to care. New Hope Wellness Center, the clinical arm of Guiding Right, pairs that outreach with whole-person care, providing HIV treatment, STI testing and PrEP services to underserved communities across central and western Oklahoma. When individuals are supported beyond a single diagnosis, prevention becomes more sustainable.
There is reason for hope. Advances in treatment mean people who achieve viral suppression cannot transmit HIV to others, yet only 63.6% of Oklahomans with diagnosed HIV are currently virally suppressed, which underscores why expanding prevention and treatment access remains urgent. Community-based organizations across Oklahoma are expanding culturally responsive care. Ending new HIV infections is possible, but it requires meeting Black communities with dignity, listening to lived experience and delivering prevention strategies that work in real life.
HIV is still here. So is the opportunity to prevent it.
Theodore H. Noel is president & CEO of Guiding Right, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to HIV education, prevention and care across central and western Oklahoma.
