IMO HIV FIght's Big Problem...

 

I think a serious problem concerning the fight against HIV is rarely addressed.  Yes there's stigma & costs, but I'd still say the biggest problem I face is how removed everything is from my everyday life.  This fight is over 4 decades old, with over a million patients, yet it's still treated as if it's a specialty.  Nearly every aspect of HIV care could be handled locally by general medical providers.   

This article stresses the importance of community involvement.  It's a good read taking into perspective the need for more awareness, testing, normalcy, connection & support.  If you're in a large, metro area, there may be a lot of options.  If you're in a small town or rural area there's not much.  I have access to a telemedicine place & a lab, that's it.  There are no local support groups or services.  It might've been better if I'd had access to those.  It might've just been weird for me.  Either way, it would've been a very different experience than what I've had.

Give this article a read.  The fight against HIV needs to reach out.  That's all for now.

Cya...

Communities Lead...

 

The theme of this years World AIDS Day, was, "Let communities lead."  I think it's great.  Some of the only people who will ever have any influence in some HIV impacted communities are people from it.  For too long, we've continued with the outside professional model.  The problems with this are plentiful.

Outsiders, are just that, outsiders.  They may not have the understanding to deal with specifics of a given group.  There could be many accusations made.  The providers may be considered to be ignorant, racist or having a savior approach.  For decades we've expected medical providers to handle sociocultural issues they weren't equipped to handle, nor was it their job.

It's time to let communities handle these matters.  It's time for communities to actually handle these matters & not ignore them.  The previous model was only so successful & it wasn't enough.  Let's see how this goes.

Cya...

Community...

 

Because of a mobile childhood & familial situation,  I was never good at the community thing.  I can be very social.  It's how I survived.  I thrived around bar folks & all the various acquaintances I had there.  At least before most of them dropped over from various issues like AIDS & OD'ing.  But for the most part these people & places were just diversions from everyday life.  Some of them were very nice & considerate people, but most were just background noise to get me through the moments.

Usually when I've had community in my life, it's been due to some conditions or qualities I shared with other people.  Being gay or being a college student, hell even being HIV+ isn't enough to form a community or real relationship with someone.

I guess the closest I got to a community was back when I was still actively gaming & going to Cons.  We shared more than a location, we had common interests.  Sometimes extremely opposing POVs, but on shared passions.  It was nice.  But time passed & people went separate ways.

Sharing a arbitrary trait, having the same illness, or having a trauma in common, may gives you grounds to meet & converse.  But, it's not enough to form a community or relationship.  I'd rather not have a community than be in a situation where the only commonality I have with others is my sexual orientation, disease, location, etc...   That would just wind up feeling desperate & fake.  Then I'd feel worse than before it all started.

I hope you find what you're looking for, but a community has to be about more than being Gay, HIV+, trans, or some other arbitrary quality you happen to share with others.

Take care.

Cya...