the opinion post follow-up… uh, post.

So here it is, the follow up post to the post I wrote a few days ago requesting the answer to this question:

If you could describe the state of HIV and AIDS today, how would you describe it?

Alright, first of all, I didn’t realize something until sometime yesterday, which I honestly don’t know why I didn’t realize it sooner, but I think that I unintentionally intimidated people by posting this question, because of where I work. I have been pretty frank with my feelings about public health because of where I work, my educational background, and what I believe, and I know that did prevent some folks from responding and thinking that their perspective mattered. For that, I wish I would have realized it, and accommodated accordingly, but alas, I did not, and there it is. Regardless, I got some great perspectives, and I will focus on those, rather than the intimidation.

First of all, I got a strong sense of complacency that people recognize with respect to HIV/AIDS today. People definitely feel that HIV isn’t as focused on today, mainly because of the availability of treatments, and the diminished face of AIDS in the news and in the media. Basically, we try to cover up the real need for help with campaigns for ipods, and that just reinforces that sense of complacency. In addition to this complacency, we have become disillusioned to believe that the treatments available for HIV have actually made this a manageable disease that isn’t so difficult to live with; as, again, is illustrated by the lack of the true face of AIDS in the media and on the news. In addition to the complacency, many see that HIV/AIDS is hidden, and this is illustrated by the belief that HIV isn’t as bad in industrialized nations, and that the people that tend to become infected in the US are junkies, and really high risk individuals; not just anyone who happens to put themselves at risk by simply having sex.

This is the new, current face of HIV. There is a lack of reality, and it has caused us to see the disease as it isn’t. We don’t see it as a problem that we still face day to day, because we have it “under control”, and because we have “treatments” that will “let us live happy healthy lives” if we should somehow become infected. Sadly, this complacency for the disease is exactly what is wrong with the stance we have taken in fighting the epidemic. Many correctly pointed out the sheer willful ignorance in the lack of proper education for our nation’s youth, and the improper use of “values” that impose horribly useless abstinence only tactics to try and convince teens to not having sex. Regardless of this “head in the sand” take on preventing teen pregnancy and HIV transmission among youth, many of you again correctly surmised that these tactics are not only NOT working, but they are doing way more harm in the process. And that level of complacency is unacceptable.

The reason I initially posted this question, was because I was going over the data from the study that I work on, and a continual theme among the respondents was that HIV was not only manageable, but it wasn’t really that big of a deal anymore. People didn’t see the disease as a problem, and I wanted to see if that was reflective of the general population as well; well, at least the general population of people that read my blog. What I found was a similar belief, only with a definitive higher level of concern and awareness of that complacency; which was to be expected from those that are smart enough to be pretty internet savvy.

I also wanted to write this, because I honestly feel like the problem that is causing this increased complacency with the disease, and with the active participation of people in this country in preventing the spread of it, rests on only a few specific things. First, there is a major problem with people thinking that HIV is readily treatable, and is actually a manageable disease. HIV is still a terminal illness, and the drugs that you take for it are not like taking an aspirin for a headache. There are horrible side effects. Those drugs cost thousands of dollars, and without them, people still die quickly. This does even take into account the drug resistant strains of HIV, which are certainly a faster death sentence. The point I am trying to make, is that when the pharmaceutical companies portray a happy healthy HIV positive gay man in their ads, they are reinforcing a belief that having HIV isn’t really all that bad. That does so much harm, because it lulls us into a sense of complacency, and as we all saw, as represented by your comments, that is a large part of the problem. The pharmaceutical companies have got to change the way they portray the disease, as well as the media at large. Until we start to see the true face of AIDS again, much like we did in the early and late 80’s, we are only back peddling. Things have got to change. The face of AIDS must be seen, or the problem will continue to get worse. Part of the reason we don’t see this face of AIDS, is because that face has largely gone more and more brown over the years, and it is easy for the media to turn away from the disenfranchised. Again, this is bad, bad news for the epidemic. Hopefully, through our own awareness and education, we can all start to make changes.

The other problem that comes from this complacency, is the belief that we cannot be infected, which is largely a part of the media ignoring the disease, that is, except to sell a red ipod. Sure, it does some good, and we do help out a few of those suffering in Africa, but it isn’t enough. This is just putting a band-aid on a gaping wound, and it is clear that it is hurting more than helping. This lack of real action and realistic exemplification of the disease, displaces our belief that we are still at risk every time we have sex. Additionally, risk factors like drug use are rampant throughout the gay community, and this increases risk of HIV transmission so much so, that it makes me dizzy. Yet, people are still willing to take these risks. But why? Because they have displaced HIV to another part of the world, or to another community other than their own, and that, coupled with the idea that it is treatable, creates and implements a fatal combination of complacency and ignorance. It is used as an excuse for someone who was already looking for a way to say, “nope, not me, no need to worry”.

I am sorry this post is as long as it is, but this is something that is truly passionate to me, and something I hope to do good with in my life. I want my mark on this world to be a positive benefit towards public health, and if that means helping one person, or many people, understand the real causes that force the epidemic to go on, then I am doing good. We must make pharmaceutical companies change their advertising methods. AIDS is not a pretty disease. You will not get infected, and then live a normal life. HIV should not be something we are complacent about, and we must really protect our youth. We must be more vocal about HIV, and make it way more visible. We must inform ourselves, and we must be realistic about this; because if we aren’t, it will just continue down this same old road. AIDS isn’t going anywhere, and it is just as bad as it was before; sure, more people are living longer lives, and there are less instances of HIV becoming AIDS, but HIV infection is still VERY high, even here in the US. Yet, still, we pretend that it isn’t a major concern. And that, is what’s wrong. We focus on getting people tested, without worrying about preventing them from getting the disease. We worry about knowing your status, but only for the few that believe they are at risk. This needs to extend to everyone, and HIV needs to become something that is talked about again. HIV needs to be made real again.

Thanks for weighing in your opinions, and feel free to weigh in more if you would like. I think finding a holistic view of the state of HIV today is a great conversation to move us out of complacency, and into really talking about and dealing with the epidemic. Until then, there are only a few that are forced to do the heavy lifting, and I for one, would like to see us coming in to help them carry the burden. It is up to us, we are the generation that can affect this change, and we need to get on it now.