In honor of World AIDS Day, WVU’s LGBTQ+ Center and Positive Health Clinic hosted a presentation providing information and resources on the ongoing HIV/AIDS crisis.
Brad Grimes, program coordinator for the LGBTQ+ Center and event organizer, began his presentation with Thursday’s opening remarks, emphasizing the importance of the day’s recognition.
“World AIDS Day is now in its 34th year. It is truly a day of solidarity for people living with HIV around the world,” said Grimes.
Grimes spoke about how people are still unaware of this problem, even though it is prevalent.
“But you know, it’s not over,” said Grimes. “So I’ve been plagued with complacency, and I’ve been plagued by this kind of feeling that a lot of young people have.” It is a must.”
More than a dozen people then attended and observed a moment of silence in memory of those who died of HIV.
The event’s keynote speaker, registered nurse and nurse educator Anne Baer, then discussed the statewide impact of the epidemic.
Behr explained that HIV, or Human Immunodeficiency Virus, is a virus that is normally spread through blood and sexual fluids and can develop into AIDS.
She also shared national and statewide HIV statistics, noting that West Virginia has had several outbreaks since 2018.
“There were more than 80 confirmed cases in 2018 alone, especially because of an outbreak of people living with HIV in the Huntington area,” Behr said. “In 2020, statewide, there were 139 of him. Again, this is a matter of access and testing.”
The HIV outbreak in Cavell County was detected in 2019 after an increase in injecting drug use, according to West Virginia. Public Health Service.
The COVID-19 pandemic has made access to HIV tests, data, and diagnoses difficult, prompting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue an HIV Data Accuracy Notice. These notices explain that the decline in positive HIV tests during the pandemic may be underestimating the true infection rate.
Behr also said HIV disproportionately affects marginalized communities, especially the BIPOC community and LGBTQ+ people.
“People feel they need to be seen and heard,” Bear said. “People who feel they are being treated like they don’t understand who they are will not come back.”
People diagnosed with AIDS can now receive treatment for their symptoms, but there is no cure yet.And there are many barriers to getting treatment, including cost, mental health, and access to facilities. .
For people trying to prevent sexual exposure to HIV, Behr recommended PreP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, a drug that fights the virus. Deskovy and Truvada are her two oral medications approved for PreP use.
“When you drive a car, you are meant to wear your seatbelt to prevent injury,” says Behr. “This is a precautionary measure.”
Local PreP providers include WVU Student Health in Washington, PA, WVU Medicine PreP Clinics, and Central Outreach. These services may be billed to your insurance.
HIV tests are available at WVU Student Health, Monongalia County Health Department and University Medical Lab. In-store home testing is also available at some retailers.
Finally, Behr shared contact information for the Positive Health Clinic, a Morgantown facility that helps care for individuals living with HIV/AIDS.
Grimes said the main purpose of the World AIDS Day presentation is to draw attention to the epidemic, raise awareness and knowledge of HIV, remove the stigma associated with the disease, and build a response to fight the epidemic.
“So let’s all take responsibility to make sure that HIV is not forgotten, that it’s a thing of the past, that it’s over,” Grimes said. “I think that kind of mindfulness, that kind of awareness, and the commitment to test at least once a year is really important.”
For more information on Positive Health Clinics, please call 304-293-6526.
