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5FEBRUARY2013BODYOFCHRISTNEWSForwearesavedbyhopebuthopethatisseenisnothopeforwhatamanseethwhydothheyethopeforButifwehopeforthatweseenotthendowewithpatiencewaitforit.Romans82425Itmayseemhardtobelievebutithasnowbeen31yearssincetheinitialrecognitionofwhatwenowknowistheafflictioncausedbytheHIVvirus.Inthe3decadessincethestartofthepandemicmorethan25millionliveshavebeenlostworldwide.IntheUnitedStatesmorethan600000peoplehavediedsince1981andtodayabout1.1millionarelivingwithHIV.ForyearsnowthenumberofnewHIVinfectionsinAmericahasremainedinthe50000range.About18ofthoseinfectedwithHIVdonotknowtheyhaveit.OfthosediagnosedwithHIVinfection50arenotreceivingregularcare.Oneofthetrulyunfortunatedevelop-mentsisthatAfricanAmericanshavebornadisproportionateburdenofsuf-feringcausedbyHIVAIDS.AfricanAmericansareabout14oftheU.S.populationbut44ofpeoplelivingwithHIV.InotherwordsHIVAIDSremainsahealthcrisisforAfricanAmericans.Itisastoundingthatwehearsolittleaboutthisinthenewsmediatoday.IhavevividmemoriesofcaringforpeoplewithHIVinfectionintheearlydaysofthepandemic.IstartedgivingcaretoHIVinfectedpatientsin1987.Itwastrulyadishearteninganddifficultexperience.Atthattimewehadonlyonedrug-calledAZTtogivepeopletohelpfighttheravagesofHIV.Thisdruginmyexperienceseemedtodolittletofighttheinfection.Patientswerepronetodevelopamultitudeofunusualinfections.Thetreatmentforvariousinfectionsinvolvedusingtoxicdrugsthatmadeyouwonderastowhichwasworse-thediseaseorthetreatmentInadditionthosewithAIDSwerepronetoadisfiguringcancerwithskinmanifestationscalledKaposisSarcomathatwasessentiallyuntreat-able.Therewerealsoothertypesofcancersthatcouldarise.TheendresultisthatthediagnosisofHIVinfectioninthoseearlydayswasessentiallyadeathsentence.Isawtoomanypeopleliveforonlyabout1-2yearsafterbeingdiagnosedwithHIVAIDSandtheirremainingdayswereoftendreadful.Therewereveryfewlongtermsurvi-vorsIn2013thingsaredifferent.ifsome-onetodayaskedmenowifthereishopeforthosewithHIVAIDSmyanswerisnowYesBelieveitornotformanyliv-ingwithHIVtheycanreceiveeffectivetreatmenttocontrolthevirussothattheycanenjoyhealthyandproductivelives.Nowedonothaveacurebutwedohaveeffectivetreatment.In1987wehadonedrug-AZTnowwehavemorethat35drugsinsixdif-ferentclassestotreatpeople.Inaddi-tionpeoplecantakeamuchsmallernumberofpillsdaily.Thereareevenpillsthatcontain3differentdrugssoasinglepillhasbeenusedtotreatsomepeople.Westillhavetoadvisepeopletoliveahealthylifestylewhichmeansnotusingdrugsoralcoholnotsmokingeatinghealthyandtousewisdominmattersofsexualbehavior.Weshouldnotjudgepeopleinregardstotheirlifestylejustshowthemsomecompassionandgivethemlifesavinginformation.ThereareinfactmanylongtermsurvivorstodaywithHIVinfectionthankstotheadvancesinknowledgeandtreatment.Wedoneedtogetthewordoutthatonecannothaveunbridledunpro-tectedsexualcontactorinjectdrugswithoutahugerisk.Thoseathighestrisksuchasthosewithsexualcontactevenasinglecontactwithsomeoneyoudonotknowisuninfectedcanbedangerous.Thereisnoabsolutepro-tectionshortofabstinencedespitethefactcondomsdohelp.SowestronglyadvisetestingforHIVforoldandyoungalikeaseventheelderlyareatriskIfindoubttest.Itisaccurateandmaybelifesaving.TestevenifyouarefeelingwellasonecanhaveanHIVinfectionforlongerthantenyearsbeforegettingsickwithAIDS.AskyourmedicalprovideraboutHIVtesting.Ifyoudonothaveinsurancetherearepublichealthclinicsyoucangotogethelp.Youcanalsogettestedevery6monthsorsoifneeded.WeneedtodoallwecaninadditiontoalsohelppreventHIVinfectionbycommunityeducation.Learnallyoucantohelpguardyouhealthandwellbeing.FinallyifyouknowthatyouhaveHIVinfectionyouneedtoseeyourmedicalprovideronaregularbasis.Youneedtotaketheprescribedmedi-cationasadvised.Ifyouhavesideeffectstherearemanyotheroptionsfortreatment.Donotjuststopthemedicationsandexperiencewhatusedtohappentopeopleinthepast.IdopraiseGodthatthereismorewecandotodaytohelppeoplewithHIV.SpacedoesnotallowmetosaymorebutpleasepayattentiontothesewordshereandmayGodhelpyoutolivelon-gerandbetter.HEALTHIsThereHopeDr.ConnerByByronE.ConnerM.D.About18ofthoseinfectedwithHIVdonotknowtheyhaveit.OfthosediagnosedwithHIVinfection50arenotreceivingregularcare.LOCALEVENTGospelMusicFestivalTheColoradoGospelMusicAcademyHallofFameishostingits42ndAnnualGospelMusicFestivalandAcademyAwardsCeremonyatNewHopeBaptistChurch3701ColoradoBoulevardinDenverSundayFebruary102013from36PM.TheAcademyispresentingGrammyAwardsNomineeandrecordingartistPastorAngelaSpiveyofChicagoknowninternation-allyasthePrincessofGospel.Thereisnoadmissionchargetoattend.Thepublicisinvitedtoexperi-encethecelebrationandtowitnessthenon-stopmesmerizinggospelmusicbyPastorSpivey.ColoradoclergychoirsdirectorsmusiciansandsoloistswillbepresenttoshareinconcertwithSpivey.FifteenawardswillbepresentedbytheAcademytodeservingindividualsandgroups.TheColoradoGospelMusicAcademyHallofFamewasfoundedtorecog-nizeaccomplishmentsandcontribu-tionsofindividualsandorganizationsthathavebeentruepioneersandfaith-fulcommunityservantsintheGreaterMetropolitanDenverarea.For42consecutiveyearstheAcademyhaspresentedawardsinvariouscatego-riesforworkthatoccurredinpreviousyearsbasedonactivitiesthatexceedthreeyears.TheAcademyseekstomaintainawarenessofBlackHistoryandlivingrolemodelstoencourageyouthtofocusoneducation.