C.A.R.E. Knowledge Blog

Self Esteem and Drivers of the HIV Pandemic

As more organizations marked the 30th anniversary of the first reported cases of HIV, it's a good time to look at some of the underlying issues that drive the epidemic. The recent news report start out by mentioning those first cases of PCP Pneumonia reported here in Los Angeles. It's also noteworthy that in the mid-70's, the STD clinic at the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center saw a young man with KS lesions--years before the disease even had a name.

Looking at the the makeup of people with HIV today, the virus still disproportionally affects the gay and bisexual men. Nationally, they make up 57% of new infections, and here in Los Angeles County, 82% the people infected are gay and bisexual. As the various public health agencies look to new modalities to steam the spread of the virus, such as treating HIV-infected individuals earlier, it's also beneficial to examine risk factors that make gay and bisexual men the only  risk group in America in which new infections have been increasing for the last twenty years. 

Study results published in the Journal of School Health show that LBGT youth that experience victimisation and bullying in school show an increased risk of suicide, depression, STDs, and HIV. While the government has taken the critical step of acknowledging the problem and offering information and referrals, more needs to be done in the way of esteem building and increasing at-risk individuals feelings of self worth. 

HIV: Thirty Years and Counting

 
The mainstream media are starting to cover stories on HIV and AIDS as we approach the 30th anniversary of the first reports of a handful of gay men in Los Angeles showing symptoms of an opportunistic infection. A few days after the June 5th anniversary, forty of the world's leaders will gather at the United Nations to address the progress made--along with the unmet need. 

To put things in perspective, if we had an AIDS quilt for everyone living or dead from HIV it would cover all of Washington DC instead of just the grass along the Capitol Mall. One of the highlights of the past few weeks is the news that getting HIV-positive folks on medication greatly reduces the risk of transmission. But to get treatment to play a role in prevention, we would need the one in four who are positive and don't know it, to get tested. 

Here at the CARE program we offer free confidential testing for HIV Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm by appointment. Our number is (562) 624-4900. We use Ora-Quick testing, so you'll have your results in 20 minutes and because it's an oral test for HIV, there's no needles.