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5FEBRUARY2015BODYOFCHRISTNEWSButwhenhesawthemultitudeshewasmovedwithcompassiononthembecausetheyfaintedandwerescatteredabroadassheephavingnoshepherd.Matthew936ForaboutthepastdecadeandmorewehaveheardinfrequentlyaboutHIVAIDSinAmerica.Wehaveperhapsassumedthatbecauseofeffectivenewtreatmentsandbecausethemediasayslittleaboutthepan-demicthatthingsarenowundercon-trolasfarasHIVAIDSisconcerned.Nothingcouldbefurtherfromthetruth.Wehaveindeedbecomecom-placentandthisisunfortunateandcanbeimmenselyharmful.ThefactofthematteristhatHIVAIDSremainsascourgeintheAfricanAmericancom-munityandthispopulationfacesthemostsevereburdenofHIVdisease.AfricanAmericansaretheracialethnicgroupmostaffectedbyHIVinfection.BasedonpopulationsizetherateofnewHIVinfectioninthispopulationis8timesthatofwhites.AfricanAmericansaccountfor44ofnewHIVinfectionseventhoughtheyrepresentonly12ofthepopu-lation.Thereisafactthatperhapswemaynotwanttotalkaboutandthatismostnewinfectionsareamonggayandbisexualmenandyoungpeopleaged13-24aremostaffectedofthisgroup.Thismaycreatearealstigmaandinterferewithtreatmentandeveninterferewiththoseaffectedseekingtreatmentandappropriatemedicalcare.AfricanAmericanmenaccountfor70ofnewinfectionswithinourcommunityand73ofthesearegayandbisexualmales.AfricanAmericanwomenaccountfor64ofallnewinfectionsamongwomen.Therearethousandsofinfectedpeoplewhoarequiteunawareoftheirinfectionandarenotbeingtreatedandareinfactspreadingtheinfectiontoothers.ItispossibletohaveanHIVinfectionwithoutsymptomsforaslongas10yearsorso.Therearesomecomplicatingsocio-economicfactorsthatmakethepan-demicworseinourcommunity.ThereisanincreasedpovertyrateintheAfricanAmericancommunityandthismaycauseapersonatrisktoforegoseekingmedicalcareandbesubjecttosocialillssuchashomelessnesspoorhousingandlackofsocialmobil-ity.Toomanypeopleinourcommu-nitymayreceiveinferiormedicalcareornomedicalcare.TheymaystarttreatmentrelativelylateinthecourseofHIVinfectionandhencehaveapooreroutcome.Themaynotadhereastheyshouldtoprescribedmedicalcareandthismayhaveadevastatingimpact.IremembervividlytreatingpeopleintheclinicIworkedinduringthelate1980s.AtthattimewehadonedrugforHIVinfectioncalledAZT.Icantellyouthatonedrugworkedpoorlyifatall.Inadditionwehadtouseanum-beroftoxicdrugstotreatdevastatinginfectionscausedbybacteriaothervirusesandevenbyfungalinfection.Thepatientsdidnotdowellandmanydiedwithoneyeardespitethemostrobustefforts.Thingsareradicallydifferentnow.TherearenumerousdrugstotreattheHIVinfectionthatworkveryeffective-ly.WehavemanynewteststocatchHIVinfectionearlyandalsoallowformoreeffectivetreatment.PeoplewithHIVinfectionwhogetappropriatecarecanbesurprisinglyhealthy.Howeverifonedoesnotgetaccesstogoodcareanddoesnotmaintaincareandtreat-menttheoutcomeatthepresenttimewillstillbepoor.Whatweneedtodoin2015istakeurgentactioninregardstoHIVAIDS.Weneedtoendthecomplacencyandinactionthathasbeenfartopreva-lent.Weneedtoeducateeveryoneaboutthispandemic.WeallneedtorememberthatHIVinfectionispre-ventableandalsoiseminentlytreat-able.HerearesomeinterventionsweneedtodoEducatethepublicthatthepan-demicisstillpresentandstillathreattothehealthandwelfareofthenationDoaggressivetestingforHIVforasmanyaspossibleevenifthismeanstestingallofthepopulationatrisk.Getthosewhoarepositiveaccord-ingtotestingintoearlycareandtreatment--theearlierthebetterMakeitpossibleforthosewhobegintreatmenttomaintaintreat-mentsotheycanhaveagoodout-comeTreateveryonewhoneedsiteveniftheyareverypoorandevenhome-lessEducatethepublicaboutpreven-tivecareandthedangerofhighrisksexualbehaviorandplacestogettreatmentforaddictionssuchasalcoholcocaineandmetham-phetamineswhichincreasetheriskofinfectionSetthegoaloferadicatingthispan-demicandnotsittingidlybywhileitcontinuesMayGodblessoureffortsandencourageallofustodowhatwecantohelpoutinthiscrisis.HIVAIDSForgottenButNotGoneDr.ConnerByByronE.ConnerM.D.HEALTH