Ziba Kashef writes frequently about women’s health for Heart & Soul and other publicat

Gloria Reuben in TNT's Raise the Bar

Between shooting seasons of the legal drama “Raising the Bar,” actress and activist Gloria Reuben has quite a few to-dos on her docket. Inspired in part by her role as the HIV-positive health-care provider Jeanie Boulet on the hit show “ER,” Reuben has dedicated much of her talent and time to AIDS causes, such as the Black AIDS Institute and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, where she serves as an ambassador. She has spoken about the impact of HIV/AIDS on African Americans at colleges around the country and at the United Nations. In 2007, she co-produced and hosted a documentary about women and HIV called “Positive Voices.” Considering what grassroots AIDS organizers do every day, nonstop, this busy TV star/singer/spokesperson says she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Gloria Reuben in TNT's Raise the Bar

Q.  Why did you get involved?

A.  After I left “ER” I was consistently supporting a couple of organizations—the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and the Black AIDS Institute. But it wasn’t until about four-and-a-half years ago when I started reading about the rates of infections and death for young black women in the United States that I picked up the ball and decided to be more active. I thought the ball had been dropped by the media and that nobody was talking about it anymore. There was a huge amount of denial and stigma, not just in the African-American community, but throughout this country.

Q.  What did you read about HIV/AIDS that struck you?

A.   The statistic that AIDS had become the No. 2 killer for black women between the ages of 25 to 44 [now the third leading cause of death for this group]. When I read that, I thought, ‘How can this be?’ Resources were out there and yet these numbers were going through the roof. I thought, ‘There’s a big missing link here between awareness and prevention and treatment in the black community.’ I thought, ‘We need to start talking about it.’

Q.  What do you think African-American women still need to know about HIV/AIDS?

A.  Their status. Everything else we already know. We already know we need to use condoms. We already know about talking to your partner. We already know about intravenous drug use. Unless you know your status, none of the other stuff matters.

Q.  What would you suggest to Heart & Soul readers who might want to get involved?

A.  There are a number of things individuals can do. If they go to church regularly, they can speak with their spiritual leaders and encourage them to start talking about this issue with the congregation. They can start educating friends and family. They can encourage loved ones to know their own status. They can start getting involved with community centers that have HIV programs or find out about state programs. You can do something as simple as going to community centers and handing out brochures on HIV/AIDS prevention. Any little thing will make a difference.

Ziba Kashef writes frequently about women’s health for Heart & Soul and other publications.