Sheryl Lee Ralph is continuing her decades-long advocacy for HIV/AIDS awareness, urging women of color to consider PrEP as a key form of HIV prevention.
Speaking recently about the ongoing fight against the virus, the actress emphasized that the issue remains urgent, particularly within Black communities.
Sheryl Lee , who has spent more than 40 years raising awareness and funds in the fight against HIV/AIDS, shared her latest message while attending the Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards viewing party. In a conversation with Variety, she highlighted the current state of the epidemic, noting that HIV is still spreading in the United States. She pointed to rising cases across the South, especially among women of color, and stressed that the issue continues to demand attention.
Her advocacy work has also extended into film. In 2023, Sheryl Lee served as a producer on the documentary Unexpected, which focuses on the experiences of Black women living with HIV. Through the project and her broader platform, she has consistently worked to shift awareness toward communities that remain heavily impacted.
During the interview, Sheryl Lee underscored the importance of prevention, particularly through the use of PrEP, a medication designed to help HIV-negative individuals avoid contracting the virus. She noted that many women are still unaware that PrEP is available to them, explaining that the conversation around the medication has often centered on men.
In a previous interview with People, Sheryl Lee reflected on how public perception of HIV/AIDS has changed over time. She recalled that the disease was once labeled as affecting primarily white gay men but has increasingly impacted Black women, particularly those living in the southern United States. She described this shift as placing a disproportionate burden on Black women to both navigate the realities of the disease and continue raising awareness within their communities.
