Ryan White would have been 50 today. He made the world better for people with HIV.

Ryan White is not alive to celebrate his 50th birthday, Dec. 6. But thousands of people living with HIV crossed the half-century mark recently. They might not realize it, but most of them have been helped in some way by Ryan.

Along with mom Jeanne White-Ginder and HIV activists across the country, Ryan achieved the unthinkable before his untimely passing in 1990 at 18. He put a human face on HIV, reduced the stigma of the diagnosis, and changed the world, starting with the U.S.

Ryan missed milestones, including his high school graduation. He missed seeing the federal Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program named after him signed into law by Congress. He would marvel that people now can live long and fulfilling lives because of effective treatment, and that more than half of people with HIV in the U.S. today are over 50.

Thanks to the HIV Continuum of Care, people with HIV can now go from diagnosis to achieving and maintaining viral suppression quickly, regardless of insurance or income.

Serving more than half a million people today, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program honors this teen’s courage and toughness in the face of life-shattering discrimination after his diagnosis. The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program is the third-largest source of federal funding for HIV-related care, after Medicare and Medicaid. More than half of people with HIV in the U.S. received services through Ryan White programs in 2019, and more of them (88.1%) reached viral suppression compared to the national average (64.7%).

“I’m acutely aware of how much better my life is today because of Ryan White,” says Sven, who just turned 50 and has lived with HIV since 2001. Getting care and services early in his diagnosis laid a foundation for his own thriving with HIV, he says.

In the Coachella Valley, people with HIV have more opportunities than ever to stay in control of their health, thanks to the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program and DAP Health. The uninsured are never turned away, and low income or under-insured patients who qualify can access high-quality, comprehensive care.

It is easy for anyone to find out if they qualify for Ryan White programs with a short online form or by calling (760) 323-2118. To learn more, visit daphealth.org.

DAP Health has been providing care and services to people living with HIV since 1984, the same year Ryan was diagnosed with AIDS. At a time before HIV was even acknowledged as an epidemic, DAP Health medical staff, psychologists and social workers created their own road map for helping patients live with HIV and kept improving it.

Living with HIV requires ongoing, complex, and intensive management, and many patients do not have the financial resources required for adequate care. Thanks to Ryan White Program grants, DAP Health offers patients and clients access to:

• Early intervention services

• Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)

• HIV and primary medical care

• Medications

• Help for youth transitioning into adult HIV care

• Rapid Start Antiretroviral Therapy (ART)

• Outpatient medical care

• Food vouchers

• Career development assistance

• Medical transportation

• Psychosocial support groups

• Temporary housing assistance

High rates of viral suppression mean more people with HIV are taking their medication as prescribed and reaching and maintaining an undetectable viral load. This means they have no risk of sexually transmitting the virus to an HIV-negative partner.

Sven says he was trying to make sense of being a young gay man in Hollywood when he found out about his HIV. By 2001, his hard-partying ways had made adulting a real challenge and he needed special support.

“I had this instinct to survive,” he says, “and I took advantage of the help that was offered to me through Ryan White-funded programs.”

These included housing, food, HIV specialty care, medical transportation, and help dealing with addiction. Today, Sven is married to the love of his life, George, and living a sober and full life. Those difficult days have been in his rearview mirror for years now, and he is grateful for that.

“How do you look at HIV as a disease when it’s given you so much life?” says Sven. “I’ve had access to a lot of help, all because of HIV advocates who decided to honor Ryan White’s legacy.”

Not all states have expanded access for people living with HIV. Especially in states without Medicaid expansion[MJ1] , people living with HIV/AIDS frequently are poor with unstable living conditions, and are likely to be uninsured or underinsured. It is also common for them to suffer from numerous comorbidities, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and hepatitis C. Treatment for these is also covered. Designed to fill gaps in the existing HIV care system, the Ryan White Program provides uninsured and underinsured people living with HIV/AIDS with high-quality, comprehensive care.

For more about the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program and his story, visit https://hab.hrsa.gov/about-ryan-white-hivaids-program/about-ryan-white-hivaids-program.

Email Jack Bunting at jackbunting.jb@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: AIDS activist Ryan White, advocate for HIV patients, would be 50 today