Work, education key in HIV fight

In our lifetime, there are few stories in medicine as compelling as that surrounding Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS.) Since its arrival in the United States in the mid-1970s, it has continued to intrigue medical professionals, scientists, policymakers and the public. The advances made in the identification, treatment and prevention of this affliction, and the journey it took to get us to where we are today, are unmatched in the annals of human disease. As recently as 30 years ago, the diagnosis of HIV was almost a certain death sentence. Now it's a chronic disease. Because of advocacy from the public, scientific funding from a variety of sources and the intellectual curiosity of a litany of brilliant people, advances in treatment have changed the paradigm greatly. And yet work remains. In the United States, more than 1 million people are living with HIV. One in seven persons afflicted with HIV don't know they have it. Most alarmingly, one in four new diagnoses was among persons aged 13-24. In Oklahoma in 2016, a majority of the 295 newly diagnosed HIV/AIDS cases were in persons aged 20-29. These statistics only serve to highlight the importance of getting tested, getting educated and continuing to provide resources to populations at risk of acquiring HIV. We must continue to provide education highlighting protective measures, sexual education and availability of resources for testing, care and treatment. Oklahoma AIDS Care Fund has been at the vanguard of HIV and AIDS awareness since the first wave of disease hit our state. Since 1991, the fund has disbursed more than $12.5 million to organizations committed to increasing access, awareness, testing, education and support to those persons living with HIV or at risk of acquisition. With data continuing to be generated regarding zero risk of transmission in patients with suppressed viral counts, and no change in life expectancy with patients who are treated and maintain treatment for HIV, the need for education, identification and linkage to care becomes even more pronounced. Through the work of Oklahoma AIDS Care Fund and partner organizations, the opportunity to make HIV resources in Oklahoma available and accessible has made the fight against HIV more robust. With growing apathy regarding the HIV epidemic, education is paramount, and providing the resources for education remains imperative. Please continue to support those who support knowledge and awareness and education. Then, one day, we can talk about HIV in a historical capacity.