When it comes to protecting Black women’s health, silence is not an option. That was the message from the “Safe & Sexy: Protecting Your Power and Your Health” panel at the 2025 ESSENCE Festival of Culture, where singer Tamar Braxton, artist and activist Raheem DeVaughn and physician Dr. Contessa Metcalfe joined moderator Trina Scott for a raw, truth-filled conversation on the Global Black Economic Forum stage.
Scott, a senior community liaison for Gilead Sciences — a biopharmaceutical company focused on antiviral medications — grounded the room with sobering statistics: Only 7% of current PrEP users in the U.S. are women, despite the medication’s ability to reduce the risk of contracting HIV by up to 99% when taken correctly.
“We automatically feel like we are eliminated from that conversation,” Braxton said, explaining her decision to go public with her PrEP journey. “And the truth is, over 50% of us sisters… have been contracted with HIV. That is an alarming number to me.”
Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, is a preventive HIV medication for HIV-negative individuals. Braxton, who recently reentered the dating world, said protecting her peace — and her health — is now non-negotiable. “I’m outside now and I’m dating,” she said. “And I just want to make sure that if I do have a date and I catch your vibe, that’s the only thing I’m catching. Thank ya.”
Her honesty resonated, as did her candid take on condom use. “You must not be single,” she joked. “The people out here don’t want to use no condom. I’m just being honest.”
Dr. Contessa, a triple-board-certified physician and star of Bravo’s Married to Medicine, shifted the focus to breast health. After learning she carried a gene that significantly increased her risk for breast cancer — a disease that disproportionately affects Black women — she became her own advocate.
“You need to know your type, and you need to start doing research on your own… to feel empowered because information is power,” she said. “If your doctor is not listening to you, you may need to fire your doctor and find another doctor.”
Her call to action was clear: know your family history, push for early screenings, and never wait for permission to protect your health.
Adding his voice to the conversation, DeVaughn spoke on allyship, vulnerability, and using music as a vehicle for advocacy. A longtime HIV prevention advocate, he emphasized that education through entertainment can save lives. “You swab me, I swab you, before we do the do,” he said, drawing laughs and nods of agreement from the audience.
“I genuinely care about people,” DeVaughn added. “It doesn’t care about your age, your faith… any of the things. Anybody can be affected by this.”
With vulnerability, facts, and a dose of humor, the panel reminded the audience: health is power — and protecting it is an act of self-love.