Category Archives: HIV
Howard Brown Health Center Celebrates its Past and Future at Annual Meeting
Howard Brown Health Center (HBHC) has stood as a beacon for LGBTQ equality for 40 years, and our services only grow more vital in today’s changing healthcare landscape. To commemorate past accomplishments and unfold plans for the year ahead, HBHC will hold its Annual Meeting on Thursday, May 29, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the future home of the HBHC’s Brown Elephant Store in Lakeview at 3020 N. Lincoln Avenue.
Together with funders, community partners, and patients, HBHC’s newly appointed President and CEO David Ernesto Munar will trace the narrative of this remarkable community health center, which has provided compassionate and LGBTQ-affirming healthcare and wellness services to diverse patient populations since 1974.
“For 40 years, Howard Brown has led community-based efforts to improve the health and lives of sexual and gender minorities and our allies,” Munar said. “Since our founding in 1974, the modern gay liberation movement has made extraordinary gains we can all be proud of. But sadly, severe health disparities persist in our community as compared to the population at large. The next frontier of our struggle must seek full health and socio-economic justice for everyone, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation.”
The event will take place at the future home of HBHC’s flagship Brown Elephant resale store, opening for business on July 1. This new store symbolizes the expansion of HBHC’s affordable and community centered mission, with proceeds from all Brown Elephant locations expanding access to essential healthcare services to all people, regardless of their ability to pay.
The Annual Meeting, free of charge, will start with light refreshments. The presentation will include the introduction of HBHC’s newly elected members of the Board of Directors. At the event, HBHC will launch a year of activities commemorating 40 years of service to the community. HBHC thanks AbbVie, Barefoot Wine, Jewell Events Catering, MillerCoors, and others for providing generous support to make the Annual Meeting possible.
Please stand proudly with HBHC on May 29. RSVP online here or by calling 773.572.5117. Space is limited.
IGNITE Chicago Rooftop Party for AFC May 16th
Light our fight. Ignite our future.
Igniting our 30th year of service –
AIDS Foundation of Chicago
IGNITE Fantastic Rooftop party coming May 16th!
Open bar, delectable world fare and dancing. Guests will also enjoy live glass artistry, roof-top views of the sunset over the skyline, and chances to win Luxury Vacation Packages in our raffle.
Friday, May 16 – 6-9PM | Tickets: $185
Ignite Glass Studio – Map
401 North Armour Street
Chicago, Illinois 60642
Valet parking will be available upon arrival at 401 North Armour Street.
Howard Brown Health Center and PrEP
Howard Brown Health Center provides access to Pre- and Post- Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP and PEP) to reduce your chance of aquiring HIV. Preventing HIV is part of the full spectrum of primary care services offered at HBHC, and PrEP is offered as part of those services.
To limit the risk of HIV infection, HBHC offers PrEP and PEP to those most likely to be exposed to HIV and those who may have recently been exposed. PrEP is offered without judgment and our staff will work to help you access the medication without prohibitive costs.
Frequently asked questions:
What is PrEP?
Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is a medication that can reduce your risk of aquiring HIV. If you take PrEP as directed, it can reduce the chance that HIV will be able to infect your body. A once-daily pill is available for patients seeking PrEP.
Who can take PrEP?
PrEP can be taken by an HIV-negative person (in consultation with their heathcare provider) who wants to reduce their chance of acquiring HIV. PrEP is available through prescription only.
Where to get PrEP?
HBHC offers PrEP to patients in our primary care clinics. Staff are available to help patients make an appointment to see a healthcare provider for PrEP. HBHC also helps patients access assistance programs that may pay for the medication in part or in full.
For additional information or to make an appointment, call 773.388.8885 or walk in during our hours of operation. You can also send an e-mail to prep@howardbrown.org for more information.
Does PrEP have side effects?
Side effects may include upset stomach, headaches, nausea, and dizziness. Patients who experience these side effects often experience them for only a short time while the body adjusts to the medication.
More serious side effects are extremely rare, and may include liver toxicity, renal impairment, and lactic acidosis. Discuss serious side effects with your provider before starting PrEP.
Payment
PrEP is covered by Medicaid and most private insurance plans. Co-pay assistance is available, and many patients with insurance pay nothing out of pocket. If you need help or do not have insurance, ask about patient assistance programs which may pay for the full cost of the medication. Low-income patients may qualify.
More info at HBHC/Prep
Howard Brown Town Hall Meetings on Health Issues
Howard Brown Health Center (HBHC) invites community members to participate in a series of town-hall meetings to discuss the health and wellness needs of Chicago’s diverse LGBTQ community. The sessions are part of HBHC’s community needs assessment, conducted every five years to gauge health-related concerns for HBHC’s patient populations.
“Respondents to the 2012 LGBT Community Needs Assessment overwhelmingly identified affordable health services and care as their leading concern,” said David Ernesto Munar, President and CEO. “Our series is designed to dig deeper in order to better understand the community assets and barriers affecting the health of people in our community.”
HBHC will rely on the community needs assessment for planning and quality improvement initiatives. Input from the meetings will be shared widely to spur public awareness and support for LGBTQ health promotion activities.
Sessions will be held at HBHC’s Brown Elephant in Lakeview at 3651 N. Halsted, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. on the following dates:
Monday, May 12: LGBTQ Older Adults
Facilitators: Medical Director Magda Houlberg, MD and Cecilia Hardacker, Manager of Geriatric Education
Monday, May 19: Lesbians, Bisexual and Queer Women
Facilitators: Betsy Rubinstein, Manager of Lesbian Community Care Project, and Michelle Wetzel, Sr. Vice President for Policy, Strategy and Business Development
Monday, June 2: Gay, Bisexual & Queer Men
Facilitators: Staff Physician Alfred Torrence, MD and Serette King, Health Educator
Monday, June 9: Transgender Individuals
Facilitators: Blue, Program Manager of the Transgender Women of Color Project, and Taylor Casey, Manager of Transgender Health
Monday, June 16: LGBTQ Youth Under 24
Facilitators: Imani Rupert, Director of HBHC’s Broadway Youth Center, and Kristin Keglovitz, PA, Director of Clinical Operations
Interested participants who cannot attend in person can join the discussion virtually on Twitter with the hashtag #HBHCTownHalls.
Aids Foundation Chicago Women and HIV Luncheon
Please join
Aids Foundation Chicago
and AbbVie for a candid discussion about the journey of HIV-positive women. This luncheon will focus on HIV disparaties among people of color and the need for support and better adherence. Q & A session to follow.
Speakers will include Willis Steele, National Advocacy Relations Manager, AbbVie-Virology
and Kathy Bennett, HIV-positive patient advocate, University of Maryland
Join us so you can be inspired for your journey.
Friday, April 25th 11:30-1:30pm
Lawndale Christian Health Center – Skyline Conference Center
3750 W. Ogden Ave Chicago, IL 60623
Please click here to RSVP by Tuesday, April 22.
HIV Cure Research – Community Forum April 23rd
Learn about exciting scientific advances to bring about a cure for HIV disease, featuring Timothy Brown, a.k.a. “the Berlin Patient,” who once had HIV. Recovered from a deadly form of leukemia and now virus-free because of a difficult bone marrow transplant, Brown embodies the hopes of scientists and millions of people living with the virus. Brown’s road to a cure is unlikely to be traveled by many others, except perhaps some who also have both HIV and cancer. But his journey provides critical proof of a concept that just may help lead to the end of AIDS-by offering clues for how to develop a safe, affordable cure for all. He also offers inspiration and hope for the road ahead. The evening will also include information about Chicago’s efforts on the HIV cure research agenda, and time for Q and A.
Wednesday April 23, 6:00 – 8:00pm
Chicago Cultural Center
Cassidy Auditorium
78 E. Washington Street
Chicago, IL 60602
Free and open to the public – registration required by Tuesday, April 22.
AIDS Foundation Chicago IGNITES in May
Ignite Sparks a New Era for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago
Annual fundraising event takes on a new look and ignites hope for the HIV community
WHAT: Light up your night at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago’s annual spring event Ignite: Light our Fight. Ignite Our Future on Friday, May 16. Kindle your creativity with live glass blowing demonstrations by top artists. Enjoy drinking cocktails, worldly cuisine and dancing the night away to music from DJ Moose. This year, the event will take place at a new location: Ignite Glass Studios, offering guests a chance to enjoy the modern space both indoors and out. The event will kickoff AFC’s 30th year of service.
AFC will honor two of distinguished advocates—Michael Bauer, Civic Leadership Award; and Robert Mink, Volunteer of the Year Award.
Funds raised through Ignite will support AFC’s policy, outreach and public education programs. AFC is the largest source of private HIV/AIDS philanthropic support in the Midwest. To learn more visit www.aidschicago.org.
WHEN: Friday, May 16, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
WHERE: Ignite Glass Studios, 401 North Armour Street, Chicago, IL 60642.
TICKETS: Admission: $185 — Includes heavy appetizers, live glass-blowing demonstrations, open bar and dancing.
For tickets and information, www.aidschicago.org/ignite or call (312) 334-0935.
Dallas Buyers Club at ShowPlace ICON Theater
An imperfect man fights for survival during an uncertain time in
America. Inspired by true events, Ron Woodroof’s story of strength is
told in Dallas Buyers Club, directed by Jean-Marc
Vallée from an original screenplay by Craig Borten & Melisa
Wallack. Spirit Award winner Matthew McConaughey portrays the real-life
character, whose self-interest is galvanized into something much more.
A son of Texas, Ron Woodroof is an electrician and rodeo cowboy. In
1985, he is well into an unexamined existence with a devil-may-care
lifestyle. Suddenly, Ron is blindsided by being diagnosed as
H.I.V.-positive and given 30 days to live. Yet he will not, and does
not, accept a death sentence.
The Normal Heart – 2 Nights for Charity
Larry Kramer’s The
Normal Heart returns to Chicago for the first time since its Tony
Award-winning Broadway revival in 2011.
This fall, TimeLine Theatre Company will breathe
new life into one of the strongest historical dramas of the 20th
Century.
For younger audiences who never knew the dark,
deadly days of the early epidemic, the play relives the fear and panic of the
early 1980s in urban America. To expose young viewers to this era—and the
grassroots activism it galvanize—seemed to me its greatest virtue.
But of course The
Normal Heart is so much more.
TimeLine Theatre Company graciously provided me a
behind-the-scenes viewing of The Normal
Heart, directed by Nick Bowling. I was moved to tears.
Yes, the drama chronicles the dawning of AIDS
activism in the wake of unconscionable political and institutional neglect.
Fueled by judgmental and homophobic disregard, the early crisis gained strength
in the absence of a robust government response. Yet a humanistic virtue will
always be at the heart of this drama.
Timeless and poignant, the play’s call to action
is as relevant now as it was when play debuted in 1985.
Ned Weeks, played by David Cromer, is a
confrontational activist in New York, fighting to bring attention to a disease plaguing
gay men. He organizes likeminded individuals and creates a grassroots movement
that struggles to gain steam in a culture that would rather turn a blind eye.
That’s not merely a glimpse at where we were. It’s
a commentary of where we are today.
Modern medicine has given many affected individuals
opportunities to survive and thrive with HIV, where once they faced certain
death. Yet the stigma associated with HIV continues to result in delayed or
deferred care for hundreds of thousands of Americans with HIV.
The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) estimates
that more than 35,000 people are living with HIV in the Chicago metropolitan area;
however, less than half enjoy access to care. Half. That means that less than 50 percent of this population is
living with a life-threatening disease. Without interventions, they will remain
at risk of serious health decline. What’s more, studies indicate that more than
6,000 individuals in metropolitan Chicago don’t even know that they are HIV-infected.
This group is at high risk for other serious medical conditions and may
inadvertently be exposing others to HIV.
The Normal
Heart confronts these disparities and it does so with gifted acting and
storytelling.
Every character is deeply complex. Even in rehearsals,
the acting was so crisp and powerful that I looked beyond the lack of costumes,
beyond the missing props, beyond the bare stage, and I returned to the early
‘80s. I stood with Ned who knelt by his partner’s bed in the hospital room. I sat
in the grassroots campaign office, as the fledgling organization struggled to
get the government’s attention. I was
there because the characters became real to me.
Yes, I encourage young people to see The Normal Heart for historical reasons.
But more than that, this drama is about our time. It’s about spurring people
into action whether they’re gay or straight, government officials or private
citizens. Everybody has a role to play in ending this epidemic, and we can only
end it if we work together.
AFC isselling tickets to The Normal Heart
for two nights: Saturday, November 2 and Sunday, December 1, which is World AIDS Day. Proceeds benefit
AFC—but only on these dates and only if you reserve your seat through AFC.
First Couples HIV Prevention Strategy for Gay Men in Chicago
Today, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be taking over “Testing
Together,” the
first-ever couples HIV prevention strategy and program for gay men, and
will be rolling out the program to 21 major cities,
including Chicago, at 70+ HIV testing sites nationwide.
program enables male couples in the U.S. to learn their HIV status
together and develop a customized HIV prevention and care strategy.
Current
HIV testing programs focus on individuals in the U.S, however, it’s
estimated that one-to two-thirds of new HIV infections came from main
partners among gay couples. The Testing Together program was
developed by Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health and funded by the M∙A∙C AIDS Fund.
Why it Matters:
- According
to research conducted at Emory with the CDC and NIH, it’s estimated
that one-to two-thirds of new HIV infections came from main partners
among gay couples and a significant number
of men in longer-term relationships were unaware of their partner’s HIV
status. Further, because they were in a couple, they felt less at risk
for HIV and therefore less likely to get tested for HIV. Current HIV
testing programs focus on individuals in the
U.S. Due to the growing rate of HIV among gay couples in the U.S.,
Testing Together is designed to help stem this spread. - According to a report released by the Chicago Public Health Department on the health of gay men in Chicago, 35 percent of gay black
men have HIV. This is followed by 16.8 percent of gay white men, and 12.5 percent for gay Hispanic men.
prevention programs focus on individuals or groups of gay men when, in
fact, most new HIV infections come from main partners in
a relationship. Our ‘Testing Together’ program is the first HIV testing
service geared specifically toward meeting the needs of male couples,”
said Patrick Sullivan, DVM, PhD and Professor at Emory University’s
Rollins School of Public Health. “We’re happy
that our collaboration with CDC is bringing this program to more HIV
organizations in major cities throughout the nation. Bringing this
service to scale for male couples was made possible by the generous
support of the M∙A∙C AIDS Fund.”
TPAN Moves Offices to 5050 N. Broadway in Uptown Chicago
Broadway, in the Uptown neighborhood. It will reopen at the new location
on Oct. 1, with all groups and services running normally by Oct. 7.
Combined Insurance—presently a division of AON.
in advance to make sure your group or appointment is still scheduled to
meet. (773) 989-9400 TPAN
Chicago House Opens Nations First Transgender Housing
Monday July 15th, Chicago House Opens Nation’s First Transgender Housing
Local Gov’t Officials to Cut Ribbon; Openly Transgender Hollywood Producer
and Chicago native
Lana Wachowski to attend
July 15th is the Opening of Chicago House’s NEW TransLife Center (TLC), a first in the nation facility to offer full, wrap-around services to members of the transgender community and address the unique housing and employment needs of Chicago’s transgender populations.
In
addition to funding by Alphawood Foundation Chicago and multiple
corporate and private donors, TLC has been wholly designed with time,
materials and furnishing donations by Designs for Dignity (www.designsfordignity.org),
a Chicago non-profit organization that transforms non-profit spaces of
marginalized populations into more functional, nurturing environments.
CountyCare a New No Cost Health Insurance Program
To celebrate Pride Week, Cook County Health and Hospital Systems and Howard Brown Health Center
demonstrated their unique collaboration to provide medical and
behavioral care for the LGBTQ community and LGBTQ allies by encouraging
Howard Brown patients to apply for CountyCare, a new, no-cost health
insurance program.
Operating Officer of the Ruth M. Rothstein CORE Center and Chairman of
the Department of Internal Medicine at Cook County Health and Hospitals
System, and Karma Israelsen, interim President and Chief Executive
Officer of Howard Brown, welcomed visitors to the center and offered a
tour of their facilities that serve the community.
Cook County residents interested in applying should call 312-864-8200 Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., or Saturday between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. To learn more about CountyCare, visit www.CountyCare.com.
CountyCare is a new Illinois Medicaid program. Patients choose a primary care site from
participating local hospitals and healthcare sites throughout the
county, including Cook County Health and Hospitals System locations.The patient is assigned a doctor, nurse, social worker and medical assistant to manage their health care through a new Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) model.
The
CountyCare program was approved under the federal government’s 1115
Medicaid Waiver, which permits CCHHS to early-enroll 115,000 individuals
who will be eligible for Medicaid in 2014 through the Affordable Care
Act.
Taverna 750 Gives to Ride For Aids as this months Late Night Charity
Taverna 750 is proud to announce that the entire month of May they have joined forces with four incredible teams; Team
AIDS Legal Council of Chicago 25th Anniversary May 9th
25 years!
Anniversary at Benefit
on May 9th
AIDS Legal Council of Chicago (“ALCC”)
is set to host “A Salute to ALCC” on Thursday, May 9 at Kirkland and
Ellis LLP. The benefit will serve to commemorate twenty-five years of
ALCC improving the lives of low-income people and their families
impacted by HIV. The evening will feature innovative food, open bar,
music, and prizes.
The event will bring together ALCC supporters from a quarter century of
service: past and present board members, staff, and interns, as well as
individual and corporate supporters.
“The response from the
community surrounding our 25th anniversary has been tremendous, and we
look forward to a wonderful evening to commemorate the life-saving legal
work that the Council does each day. The HIV epidemic continues to grow
and impact more and more communities. Thanks to the wonderful support
from our community and corporate partners, ALCC will be here as long as
we are needed,” said ALCC Executive Director Ann Hilton Fisher.
Over 200 people are anticipated to attend “A Salute to ALCC” on May 9th. Tickets start at just $50 and are available at ONLINE NOW.
Special thanks to our event sponsors: Kirkland & Ellis,
Sidley Austin, Winston & Strawn, McDermott Will & Emery, Jenner
& Block, DLA Piper, Mayer Brown, Schiff Hardin, Marshall Gerstein
& Borun, Clark Hill, Wintersteen & Dunning, Reed Smith,
Sidetrack, BestGayChicago.com, ChicagoPride.com, The L Stop, and Windy
City Media Group.
Incorporated in 1988, AIDS Legal Council of Chicago offers free legal
assistance to people with HIV and their families; educates service
providers, HIV-positive individuals and their families, and the general
public through comprehensive education and training programs; and
advocates statewide and nationally for fair treatment of those with HIV
and their families.
Illinois Governor Reduces State HIV Funding = Cuts to ADAP
More cuts coming to ADAP.
Illinois
Governor Pat Quinn released a proposed $35.6 million state budget on
March 6 that would reduce state HIV/AIDS funding by $4.27 million, or 16
percent.
“Thanks
to President Obama, many people with HIV will gain new health insurance
coverage through the Affordable Care Act, providing partial relief to
the state’s AIDS Drug
Assistance Program (ADAP),” said David Ernesto Munar, President/CEO of
the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. “Illinois has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reinvest ADAP savings to fund HIV prevention
and service programs that will reduce new HIV cases and improve health outcomes.”
Under
the Governor’s proposed budget, total state HIV spending would drop
from $26.23 million in FY13 to $21.75 million in FY14. AFC has learned
from sources at IDPH that the
funding cut would come from ADAP, which provides life-saving
medications to people with the disease.
In
2014, many current ADAP clients will transition to Medicaid or
subsidized private insurance programs available through new online
insurance marketplaces, also called exchanges.
This shift will reduce the need for state spending on ADAP. “Allegedly”.
“HIV
is a communicable disease,” continued Munar. “The scientific evidence
is clear that when people with HIV receive clinical care, treatment, and
other essential services, the risk for
further HIV transmission is substantially decreased.”
“About half of people with HIV are
not receiving medications or medical care,” said
Ramon Gardenhire, AFC’s director of government relations.
“Illinois should reinvest the savings from the ACA to connect people
with HIV to medical care: culturally sensitive boots-on-the-ground
outreach workers, substance abuse
and mental health treatment resources, and stable housing and
transportation options. Illinois should reinvest in these services since
the unmet need is so great. Doing so will reduce new HIV cases and
future medical spending.”
If
enacted, HIV funding would be cut for the third year in a row. Since
2011, Illinois has reduced state HIV funding by $9 million, or 30
percent.
“HIV
funding cuts have resulted in dramatic decreases in the availability of
HIV prevention, housing and supportive services across the state,” said
Gardenhire. “It’s time for Illinois
to stop this trend and fund targeted investments that will help lower the burden and cost of HIV upon the state.”
To
ensure that people with HIV continue to receive services, the General
Assembly must immediately act to extend Medicaid coverage to all
low-income people, including people with HIV.
Sponsored by State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) and Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago),
Senate Bill 26,
pending in the Illinois House, would
authorize Illinois to take advantage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)
to provide Medicaid to about 342,000 low-income Illinois citizens who
are currently uninsured, including thousands who are living
with HIV/AIDS. Thanks to health reform, Illinois will be able to offer
Medicaid to this population at no expense to the state for the first
three years, and in later years the state will never pay more than 10
percent of the coverage cost.
SB
26, if approved by the Illinois House, would shift costs for HIV
medication from the state to the federal government, yielding savings to
Illinois that could be used to strengthen HIV
care and prevention efforts.
AFC,
together with HIV/AIDS medical and community-based services
organizations, calls on the Illinois General Assembly to reverse the
proposed funding cuts and pass SB 26 to gain federal
funding to provide HIV care through Medicaid.
AFC
urges advocates to join us in Springfield to lobby for important
HIV/AIDS issues in April and May of this year. Contact Lucy Baglin at
lbaglin@aidschicago.org
for more information on Medicaid advocacy.
Illinois’ subsidized high risk health insurance pool IPXP to stop accepting applications March 2nd, 2013
care reform announced this past Friday that the subsidized plans that
are currently insuring more than 100,000 individuals nationwide, will be
closing their doors to new enrollees months before other coverage is
available on the new insurance exchanges.
Although
most of the provisions of the Affordable Care Act do not become
effective until January 1, 2014, the law set up interim plans, called
“Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plans” for people who could not buy
health insurance on the private market because of serious health
conditions, including HIV. In Illinois, the state opened the Illinois
Pre-Existing Insurance Plan (“IPXP”) in August 2010. Approximately 3000
people now have insurance though IPXP. Although those people currently
enrolled in those plans will continue to have coverage until January 1,
2014, when they will be able to move to private insurance coverage,
Friday’s announcement means that no new applications will be accepted
after March 2, 2013.
Ann
Fisher, Executive Director of AIDS Legal Council of Chicago, explained
why this is bad news for people with HIV or any other pre-existing
condition that blocks them from getting private insurance. “IPXP has
been an important source of health care coverage for people with HIV,
including people on the AIDS Drug Assistance Program whose income
climbs above 300% of the federal poverty level (about $35,000) but do
not have health insurance on the job and cannot afford to pay for their
medications themselves. “ The state has been able to refer those
individuals to IPXP, and to help pay the IPXP premiums, so that they do
not lose access to their medications.
Fisher
explained that IPXP was always meant to be a temporary program, set to
expire once pre-existing conditions no longer prevent people from buying
insurance. “But,” she added “we always assumed that IPXP would
continue to accept new enrollees until very close to January 1st.”
“It appears,” she added,” that IPXP is a victim of its own success.
There was a limited pool of money available for the plans, and in order
to make sure they can continue to pay claims of current enrollees, they
now have to cut off future ones.”
AIDS
Legal Council is getting out the word about the closing of enrollment,
and encouraging anyone who has been without insurance for at least six
months to quickly apply for IPXP. NOW!!
ALCC is available to answer questions or assist with the enrollment process and can be reached at 312-427-8990.
Founded
25 years ago, AIDS Legal Council of Chicago works to preserve, promote,
and protect the legal rights of men, women, children, and families in
the metropolitan Chicago area impacted by HIV and AIDS. The Council
provides free direct legal services to people in need, educates the
public about HIV-related legal issues, and advocates for social policies
that ensure fair treatment for all people affected by HIV and AIDS.
AIDS Foundation Chicago Need2KnowHIV
More than 20,000 people are living with HIV/AIDS in Chicago – three times the national prevalence rate.
In some Chicago neighborhoods, HIV rates have climbed to a staggering 53 percent in recent years.
That’s why the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) is marking this World AIDS Day by announcing a new campaign called
Need2Know HIV, an initiative to educate people about the importance of HIV testing.
In
partnership with Abbott, a Chicago-headquartered global health care
company, AFC is using social media platforms such as Facebook and
Twitter to increase awareness and encourage conversation
about testing. The campaign began on World AIDS Day, December 1, and
continues through the month.
What sets Need2Know HIV
apart from other HIV testing campaigns? It highlights the importance of
diagnosing HIV in its earliest stages, as well as ongoing viral load
molecular testing
for those living with HIV.
Unfortunately,
many HIV-positive people are not diagnosed in the early phase of the
disease — when they are most contagious — and unknowingly spread the
virus to others. Testing is critical
to stopping the spread of HIV, though many people are not getting
tested and may not realize significant advances in testing technology
that are now available.
“It’s
simple: we can’t end AIDS without a stronger commitment to HIV testing,
and that starts with educating people about the importance of testing
to know their status and manage HIV,” said
David Ernesto Munar, AFC president/CEO.
People can show their support and educate others by visiting and “liking” the
Need2Know HIV campaign on Facebook, Munar said.
New
diagnostic testing allows individuals to know within two weeks of
exposure if they are infected. The newest HIV combo tests can detect
both antigens (the actual HIV virus) and antibodies
to HIV (the body’s response to fight the virus). HIV combo tests allow
people to know their status weeks sooner than they potentially could
with traditional antibody-only HIV tests.
For
those individuals who live with HIV, monitoring the disease plays a key
role in their overall treatment. Ongoing viral load molecular tests help
patients and their health care providers
monitor the response of the virus to antiretroviral drug treatments,
helping to guide treatment decisions.
Earlier
detection provides information to help people make decisions that may
reduce risky behavior. It also allows people who are HIV positive to
start on antiretroviral therapy sooner, which
benefits long-term health and may also reduce HIV transmission rates by
96 percent.
“For
nearly 30 years, Abbott has been committed to fighting HIV by developing
important tests and therapies for patients,” said Brian Blaser,
executive vice president, Diagnostics Products,
Abbott. “Our commitment to HIV continues today as we partner together
to launch efforts such as
Need2Know HIV to help educate people about the critical role testing can play in stemming the tide of this virus.”
People can learn more by visiting the AFC’s
website and
Facebook page.
