The Rev. Bertha Greene is pastor and organizer of Sacred Zion Full Gospel Baptist Church in Baltimore and board chair of Project Arise, a faith-based HIV prevention program funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, spoke to The Examiner about the faith community's role in prevention.

Describe the services you offer people who are HIV-positive.

We are able to offer them hope and we help them understand that they are not alone, and there is someone else who cares about them. That component is essential to helping people live with and accept the fact that they are HIV-positive.

Is that unique to faith-based programs? Most people who provide services really know the importance of offering hope, [but] we offer that along with some spiritual counseling and guidance.

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Are people being more open about talking about HIV and AIDS?

It's opening up more, but it has taken awhile for people to open up to it. There still tends to be a stigma, but more and more people are realizing that regardless of how a person might have gotten the disease, they are human and need to be treated and loved and cared for. Many people are still of the opinion that they will not be affected or infected with or by HIV/AIDS, but our message is AIDS does not discriminate. People of all ages can be infected or affected.

What will it take to see fewer new infections?

Continued education, and for people to adhere to what they are being taught. Another key point is testing. So many people don't realize they are infected.