30 Years of AIDS, the Fight Continues
By: Nancy Southwell, Vice President, SUS AIDS Services & Urgent Housing
June 5th, 2011 marked the 30th Anniversary of the AIDS epidemic.
I was in elementary school when AIDS first hit the mainstream news. I was in my senior year of college when Magic Johnson first disclosed his HIV status and I began my first job working with people with AIDS a few months later. While these things do not necessarily make me unique, I mention them as a way of explaining that I don’t really remember a time without AIDS and it’s been at the forefront of my mind for a very long time.
So it surprises me, and sometimes greatly upsets me, when I hear from a friend, family member or acquaintance, “But AIDS isn’t really a problem anymore, right?” When did we stop talking about AIDS? When did it stop being a problem? How is it that AIDS became un-newsworthy when there are more than 1 million people living with it in the United States right now? Why has the conversation moved out of the mainstream? Why don’t stories like the Berlin Patient get more traction in the general media? No one I have talked to in my social network has even heard of him.
It is true that in 30 years, great progress has been made in the field of AIDS research and treatment. As a community, we will be forever grateful for the researchers, doctors, nurses, social workers, caregivers, and activists who have come before us. We learned relatively quickly how the disease was transmitted and what could be done to reduce transmissions. Treatments and treatment strategies are becoming more and more effective in improving health outcomes and as prevention strategies. Many people with AIDS who are engaged in treatment are living longer and healthier lives.
However, the rate of new infections remains high. Not everyone who has HIV has access to treatments that are known to be effective. There are health outcome disparities among people of color with HIV. HIV Testing has not yet become routine in medical care. It is believed that 20% of people who are HIV+ do not yet know their status, therefore they are not being treated and are putting others at risk. Development of an effective vaccine has remained elusive. Stigma and discrimination persist. There are more than 1,700 homeless people with AIDS in New York City. There is not yet a cure. These are the things we need to continue to talk about.
The following articles highlight some things you need to know about AIDS over the past 30 years, as well as success stories of people who are living with AIDS:
Many of the people with HIV/AIDS served by SUS are typically referred from municipal hospitals or emergency shelters, have lost their jobs, their homes as well as contact with family and friends. SUS steps into that void, offering them residential and support. Most recently SUS sent four consumers to Philadelphia to participate in the HOPWA Listening Session. The session was part of President Obama’s direction to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to update the formula funding for its Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) program in his National HIV/AIDS Strategy. HOPWA wanted to hear from as many people living with HIV/AIDS as possible. They wanted to hear about their own experiences with housing and about what’s happening in their communities. SUS felt it was important to be a part of this discussion and help shape this reform.
To learn more about ways you can help keep AIDS at the forefront of discussion and research in America and New York City please visit http://aids.gov/ and http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/ah/ah.shtml.
To learn more about supporting SUS and our AIDS initiative please visit http://sus.org/hiv-aids/.