DAYTON — Dayton & Montgomery County Public Health hosted its ninth annual “Rocking our Red Pumps” event on Friday to recognize National Women and Girls HIV Awareness Day.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
The event focused on educating women about sexual and other health-related issues and raising awareness on HIV.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Man charged after shots fired during St. Patrick’s celebration near UD
- Cedarville University student injured after plane headed to Springfield crashes in Pennsylvania
- Witness says teen shot near local park
News Center 7 talked to Public Health Supervisor of Disease Prevention Debbie Letlow about the importance of the event.
“The purpose of this event is to shed light on the impact of HIV on women and girls,” Letlow said.
The event featured a live band, games, free food, and guest speakers who work with HIV patients every day.
“It’s all about the red shoe. The red shoe is bright, it symbolizes empowerment and it also reminds us to think about people who are infected and affected by HIV,” Letlow said.
Public Health officials said in 2023, 22% of the 861 new HIV cases in Ohio were women.
The rate of new HIV diagnoses in 2023 among Black women is over eight times higher than the rate among white women, according to Public Health officials.
“We are promoting testing, promoting treatment, and we’re also promoting prevention,” Letlow said.
Public Health’s HIV/AIDS Prevention Programs work to reduce transmission in Darke, Miami, Montgomery, Preble, Clark and Greene counties.
Free anonymous and confidential HIV testing is available. For more information, click here.
[SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2025 Cox Media Group
