Yesterday (November 7th), I asked Virginia's Community Planning Group to talk with me about why the rate of new HIV infections is not declining in our state?  As you read these responses, remember the question - Here is what they said:

• "It's about attitude.  There is still a strong stigma around HIV.  People in committed relationships make assumptions that their partners are faithful.
• "There is inadequate funding for prevention.  The stigma around HIV causes that.  Policymakers don't know, they don't want to see how HIV affects us all. 
• "We won't start talking about HIV with young people early enough.  Worse than that, we don't teach our young people how to value themselves.
• "We haven't bought into the prevention concept in our society.  Therefore, there is not the will to commit money for prevention to save money in treatment.
• "There remains a lack of knowledge in the rural areas of our state.  And ignorance about HIV is allowed to fester.
• "There is no Political Will to tackle HIV head-on.
• "HIV positive individuals do not advocate enough.  They could make an impact by sharing with others, but they do not take ownership themselves.  It's about disclosure.
• "HIV is still on the back burner in this country.  It's not mainstream.  HIV does not get any media coverage except on World AIDS Day and on HIV Testing Days.
• "People are people.  There will always be some HIV.  So we don't invest money into prevention.  We continue to deny the risk and maintain the risk - it's in our culture.
• "People believe they are invincible - "It won't happen to me!"
• "Abstinence-only prevention programs don't work.
• "There's a lot of HIV out there, in certain geographic areas of the state and within certain populations - there's a lot.
• "Because there is no perfect cure or method of prevention - we are all human.
• "People are not getting tested.  If they don't know their status, they won't have to think about changing their behavior.
• "There is indifference by politicians.  And of course, inadequate prevention funding.
• "There is a lack of education and information about HIV within our educational system.  The myth that kids "don't have sex" continues to influence what we teach our children.
• "Lack of understanding — and a lack of wanting to understand.
• "Because it's difficult to change behavior.
• "Our families, schools, and our government obstruct education about HIV.
• "The criminalization of laws and rules that silence persons living with HIV.  That hampers working with both HIV negative and positive people.
• "To the youth who have grown up with HIV always being there, it's "no big deal".  They carry around a misconception that we are not changing.
• "It's because we're testing more.  More people are finding out that they are positive. 
• "Politically, HIV is not an issue for the majority of the population - and that comes from prejudice and stigma.
• "We still target only the same high-risk groups.  We don't target the whole population, as we do with other chronic diseases."

Wow!!  There's a lot of insight here! 

We were running out of time, so we practiced how to get the attention of a legislator if all you had was time to "walk with me" and talk - What would you say in those first 5 seconds of a conversation if you only had that much time to get someone's attention?  Here are some of things the members of the CPG said ….

"Did you know that the U.S requires other countries that receive PEPFAR* funding to have an AIDS strategy, and we don't have one in this country?  Can I talk with you?"

"Did you now that there is a Strategy to End AIDS in Virginia?  When can I talk with you about that …"

"Do you have grandkids?  Do you know that they are at risk of acquiring HIV?  Can I meet with you to discuss that?"

"You have the power to make the rate of new HIV infections drop.  When can I meet with you to give you more details …"

"Do you know how many of your constituents have been lost to you because they've died of AIDS?  Can I talk with you …"

"Del. Xyzabc (and Sen. Abcxyz), you and I have met together before and I am one of your voting constituents. Can I talk with you about an issue that's important to me?"

Again, WOW!  Members of the CPG that were present committed to making two visits - one to their own Delegate, and one to their own Senator - either alone or with other constituents from their area. It really doesn't matter.  What matters is that THEY VISIT THEIR Del. & Sen.

How about you?  Do you also want to make HIV Prevention MAINSTREAM?  Do you also want the rate of new infections in Virginia to DROP? 

That can only happen when YOU ALSO commit! Tell us your name, address, and email address, and we will help you to make that commitment a reality. And THANK YOU.

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* President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief

This entry was posted on Monday, November 10th, 2008 at 11:46 am and is filed under Latest News.