Thank you Mr. Sterling

Strange title, eh? After all, why would I thank someone attributed to insensitive racial comments about African Americans in 2014? With an African American president, thousands of African Americans now listed among the elite, but elusive, top 1% (over a dozen of whom, by the way, who actually work for Mr Sterling) don't we now live in, as many idealistic pundits and scholars call it, a 'post racial' society? Well, this blog is not intended to thank him for reminding us that racism is alive and well. I am thanking Donald Sterling for getting HIV back in the news. Now, one would think that the greatest epidemic in modern history alone, would remain in the headlines by virtue of well, it being the greatest epidemic in modern history. Its amazing to think that 75 million total infections, over 36 million deaths and over 2.3 million new infections annually rarely makes the news. Nor is it the fundraising leadership of 'twinBill" of Bill Clinton and Bill Gates; or the dramatic breakthroughs in HIV treatment that have enabled millions to live longer, more productive lives; or even the tenacity of the advocates who have fought for access for these treatments. No, it takes the uniformed comments of an 80 year old man about one of the most iconic figures in the history of this epidemic, Magic Johnson, to justify front page news. So thank you, Mr Sterling for reminding us that HIV infection is not the same thing as AIDS and that people can LIVE with HIV. Thank you for reminding us that many people still blame the victim ( 32%- according a 2012 survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation). And last, but not least, thank you for reminding us that we still have a long way to go to reduce the crushing stigma still associated with HIV. The attention that you brought to this issue, misguided as it may have been, has produced the rare public 'teachable moment" that we HIV advocates and educators so often yearn for. Now, I guess we will just have to wait for the next major, public faux pas to get in the headlines again.

Ignorance is Bliss (Not!)

As someone working in the field of HIV/AIDS, I have had many conversations about the topic with people ranging from politicians to middle school students. However, I will never forget the recent conversation that I had with a long term (25+ years)survivor who shared how he could manage the symptoms, the side effects of the medication and even accepting that he may not live as long as he planned; but it was the stigma that he struggled with the most. So why, at the ripe old age of 32, does the stigma of HIV/AIDS remain so devastating? A new survey by the National AIDS Trust demonstrated how the lack of knowledge about HIV/AIDS, despite our access to social media and the internet, remains significant. For example: * 20% of the survey respondents believed that HIV/AIDS is a death sentence and that the life expectancy of a newly diagnosed person is about 10 years; * Over one-third of the respondents believed that people living with HIV were not allowed to work in schools, hospitals or restaurants; * Over 25% believed that people living with HIV are legally required to disclose their status. After reading these results, I recalled a conversation that I had with a Miami cab driver. I often share what I do for a living, partially to gauge the reaction, but also to ascertain what they know about HIV/AIDS. I was mortified when this cab driver, who looked to be in the 25-35 year old range and was deftly welding the GPS on his smartphone to navigate, said that he knew that there was a drug to treat AIDS: AZT! For those of us even remotely familiar with HIV, to hear someone express that s/he knew of only one medication to treat it-which happens to be the first anti-retroviral medication to treat HIV/AIDS AND was introduced in 1984! Is it fair to expect people to know more about HIV/AIDS? At what point does personal safety take over? Doesn't over 25 million deaths, with over 34 million people living with HIV/AIDS at least inspire some curiosity? I am a little biased of course, but it would certainly make my work and others like me, not to mention the lives of the tens of millions living with it a little easier if more people took the time to avail themselves of the tons of information available to them. Isn't it worth the time?