Pointing...

 

HIV has been around for decades & outreach for the virus is nearly as old.  Professionals of numerous backgrounds in health & social issues have made astounding efforts to educate the public about HIV.  There has been attempts in nearly every conceivable area to reach people about HIV/AIDS.  This is regarding education, awareness, testing, treatment, support, etc...

Yet quite often, I see pieces blaming the people who've made these amazing attempts accused of not trying hard enough.  There was an article this morning detailing how although overall HIV numbers were down, those among Hispanic males had increased significantly.  This wasn't just a statement.  It was all but an accusal of deliberate, racially based exclusion.  At the best, it was alluding that this group was being overlooked to a focus on others.  

If after all these decades, any group can't figure out about HIV, it isn't a "can't", it's a "won't".  The men in this group had the same means to get the information as everyone else.  They had the ability to find a place to be educated, tested, treated...  Stop treating HIV professionals as bigoted, racist, sexist villains.  They can't make people listen or act.

That's all for now, take care.

Cya...

Mores +'s...

 

This article is similar to others I've seen lately.  It deals with a notable uptick in HIV cases in New York.  The researchers doubt it's due to an actual increase in cases existing.  They think it's due to an increase in testing.

3 factors are presented.  COVID knocked back access, availability & willingness to get tested.  Next, besides being more accessible, testing has improved.  Finally, some outreach programs in previously hesitant groups are starting to show some results.

This was a decent piece of the matter.  It wasn't necessarily that the cases weren't there before.  They just weren't getting diagnosed & counted.   Education, awareness & testing will always be as important as any other factor in the fight against HIV.

Take care.

Cya...

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...