National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, held annually on March 10, is an opportunity for “local, state, federal, and national organizations come together to shed light on the impact of HIV and AIDS on women and girls and show support for those at risk of and living with HIV.” This year marks the 14th annual observance of National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NWGHAAD).

According to womenshealth.gov, there has been “tremendous progress against HIV and AIDS in the U.S., but women remain vulnerable to infection — especially black or African-American and Hispanic women. Any woman who has sex can get HIV, regardless of race, ethnicity, age, or sexual orientation. Today, nearly 1 million people in the U.S. are diagnosed with HIV, and nearly 1 in 4 of them are women.” So for this year’s NWGHAAD, we wanted to take the opportunity to highlight one of CAP’s incredible social support programs helping address that disparity.

When CAP SW WA began serving clients in Clark County it became clear that women-identified clients wanted additional levels of support. The Women of Wisdom (WOW) group operated in Clark County many years ago and several longtime residents recalled that WOW provided a strong sense of community and support for them. In 2019, CAP SW WA began partnering with Quest Center for Integrative Health to once again bring WOW to women living in Clark County and to further strengthen a long standing partnership with Quest, CAP, and the community.

WOW serves as a safe space to provide psycho-social support groups that unite, educate, and empower women living with HIV/AIDS and their children. As stated by Quest, the overarching goal of WOW is to strengthen the capacity of women living with HIV/AIDS to self-manage their own disease progression, reduce social isolation, promote community and strengthen social support networks, and employ a holistic health approach that incorporates social, emotional, psychological, spiritual, and physical wellness. WOW has been supporting women for more than 10 years and remains the only program of its kind in Oregon and Southwest Washington.

In February 2020, CAP SW WA was awarded funding from the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation to build and grow Clark County WOW. This funding will help provide additional meetings each month, much needed transportation, onsite childcare, onsite events, facilitate offsite trips, and much more! Clark County WOW meets on the 3rd Tuesday of each month from 5-6:30pm at CAP’s Vancouver office located at 100 E. 33rd St. Suite 201A Vancouver, WA 98663. Keep an eye out for additional meetings and events being offered in 2020-2021. Join us for a WOW Feedback Forum on Tuesday, March 17th at 5pm!

For more information, contact Emma Martinez at emartinez@capnw.org or 360-986-3525.

About Cascade AIDS Project

Cascade AIDS Project is the oldest and largest AIDS Service Organization in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Each year, CAP provides housing and support services to thousands of people living with HIV as well robust prevention and education services, including free, confidential HIV and STI testing. CAP also provides compassionate and affirming primary health for the LGBTQ+ Community and beyond through Prism Health.  More information can be found at www.capnw.org