Opinion: HIV still exists; thus the need to protect from hidden pandemic

The COVID-19 Pandemic took over the world in 2020. Stores shut their doors, movie theaters, restaurants, and even Broadway and Saturday Night Live came to a stand-still.

In the 1980s, the HIV/AIDS (Human Immune Deficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) pandemic also took over the world. And it is still here. Approximately 1.1 million people in the United States have HIV/AIDS and 1 in 7 do not know they have it. North Carolina had 1,079 new HIV diagnoses in 2020, the seventh highest in the country. In 2019, there were 31,667 people living with HIV in North Carolina and 509 people died of HIV during that year. While 38% of the U.S. population resides in the South, it makes up a little over half the HIV positive population.

People can pass HIV through bodily fluids and it is often contracted through unprotected sexual intercourse or needle sharing. If HIV becomes more serious, it turns into AIDS which can lead to a weakened immune system, leaving a person more vulnerable to other diseases like COVID-19. AIDS can be fatal if you do not take medications and steps to protect yourself including wearing condoms, getting tested, and not sharing needles.

Anyone is susceptible and getting tested for HIV can protect yourself, your family, and your community. Getting tested is quick, easy, and painless. There are a few different types of tests: one test involves drawing blood within a few weeks after potential exposure to HIV. However, for those who do not like needles, there are tests that use a person’s saliva and are rapid at-home self-tests. You can take the test at home and keep the information private. These tests are available at various health centers, nonprofits, and mobile testing sites around Western North Carolina.

There are people in our Western North Carolina community that are here to help. The Western North Carolina AIDS Project provides free, confidential testing, support groups for those diagnosed as well as legal assistance, support accessing and taking medications, emergency financial support and transportation to appointments.

Organizations such as the North Carolina AIDS Action Network are fighting to change policies that will allow people to access HIV-prevention medications like PreP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) without needing a prescription. This will make it easier for someone to walk into a clinic and receive PreP. The national HIV/AIDS hotline allows you to call for help and the HIV Medication Assistance Program provides financial support to low-income North Carolina residents to buy HIV-prevention medications. Southern Hospitality is not just a saying in Buncombe County. Help is there for people who need it.

Recently, a Texas judge ruled that the Obamacare HIV prevention drug mandate was unconstitutional; meaning that employers do not have to provide PreP and other HIV prevention medications, contraception, and other life-saving drugs to their employees as part of their healthcare plan. We are not Texas. We, as North Carolinians, take care of each other. This is why it is important to get tested and continue reducing the stigma.

In 2021, 85% of people with HIV knew their status and by the end of 2021, 90% were on medications and able to live a long and normal life. Doctors and public health professionals are developing more medications that will make it easier to control AIDS, including increasing the availability of PreP and other preventive medications. It is important to talk to your doctor about getting tested and incorporating it into your healthcare routine, especially if you are in a high-risk group as a member of the LGBT community or a person who uses drugs.

The public health sector is also in phase one of developing a vaccine for HIV/AIDS based on technology used for the COVID-19 vaccine. While this could take a while, it is a step in the right direction for protecting people in our community.

While testing for COVID-19 went up between 2020 and 2022 as it became normal to get tested after a potential exposure, testing for HIV decreased. The COVID-19 pandemic is coming under control. The HIV/AIDS pandemic continues. If more people get tested, HIV will become less deadly and less stigmatized. It is time to come together to support our most vulnerable community members. The sooner you get tested, the sooner you know and can take steps to protect yourself and your family. By knowing your HIV status, you can take the steps to control the disease for yourself and your community.

Maya Ulin-O’Keefe is a Buncombe County resident who works in the office of HIV/AIDS at the U.S. Agency for International Development.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: HIV still exists; as does need to protect people from hidden pandemic