RI Commemorates World AIDS Day

On Monday, December 2, activists and political leaders gathered at the Rhode Island State House to commemorate the 26^th Annual World AIDS Day. Speakers included Governor Lincoln Chafee, First Lady Stephanie Chafee, State Representative Frank Ferri (D-Warwick), Dr. Philip A Chan, Kayla Wingert and Anthony Maselli.

There are ore than 2,000 Rhode Islanders living with HIV/AIDS. Since 1983, there have been 1,591 deaths among people with HIV/AIDS. Tom Bertrand, Executive Director of AIDS Project Rhode Island, said the goal is to have zero new infections in five years in Rhode Island. There have been an average of 105 new HIV infections reported annually from 2008 through 2012. Bertrand also stressed the importance of people getting tested so they will know their HIV status and noted that HIV is “not a death sentence anymore, it’s a life sentence.”

“We need to get (people with HIV) to take medications so they can live longer and healthier lives,” Bertrand said.

Stephanie Chafee was a nurse who treated AIDS patients in the early days of the epidemic. “We literally had patients dying in the street because there was nowhere for them to go,” she recalled. Chafee said people, especially teenagers, need to be educated on how HIV is spread and what can be done to prevent more infections. Her own college-age children had “misperceptions” about HIV, noted Chafee. “We still have more work to do with adults and adolescents,” she said.

Ferri called AIDS “one of the most destructive epidemics in history.” Funding for HIV prevention for gay and bisexual men in Rhode Island has been lagging, according to Ferri. That demographic is at the highest risk for HIV, Ferri added.

Maselli, a health advocate at Miriam Hospital said it was “emotional and stressful” to have HIV. “I’m fortunate to be surrounded by people who are educated,” Maselli said. He said there needs to be elevated awareness efforts and comprehensive sex education in the schools. In addition, he explained that marginalized populations, including transgender individuals and African-Americans, need to be included in education and prevention efforts.

Kayla Wingert, a student at Johnson and Wales University, was given no information about HIV or AIDS while attending high school in Chicago. “If I had known more, I would have made safer choices,” said Wingert, who is a peer health educator on campus. Wingert believes educating teenagers about HIV/AIDS is important. “We have an obligation to protect our nation’s youth,” Wingert added.

Also in attendance were members from the Rhode Island Coalition for HIV Prevention, which was formed in spring 2012 with the goal of reducing the incidence of new HIV infections in Rhode Island through collaboration, education and advocacy. The Coalition is composed of 22 community-based organizations and other partners who meet regularly to support efforts to reduce HIV among high-risk groups through primary prevention efforts.

The Rhode Island Department of Health HIV/AIDS Epidemiological Profile indicates that HIV continues to be a persistent public health problem in Rhode Island, with 106 new HIV infections reported in 2010. It notes the proportion of young adults (aged 20-29) being reported with new HIV infections is growing.  The percentage of new HIV infections in Rhode Island among young adults (aged 20-29) grew from 18 percent in 2008 to 25 percent in 2011 – the largest increase for any age group during this timeframe.

AIDS Project Rhode Island was founded in 1985 by a group of doctors and community activists. The agency provides counseling and services to people living with HIV/AIDS. APRI operates an HIV testing program, Take Charge! Get Tested!, to help Rhode Islanders learn their HIV status in a safe, comfortable environment. Rapid HIV testing is done for free on a walk-in basis every Tuesday and Thursday. APRI provides testing for individuals and couples. APRI also administers Ryan White Title II funded services to HIV positive individuals whose income levels fall at or below federal poverty guidelines. In 2008, APRI merged with Family Service of RI, another AIDS service organization. Family Service of RI serves approximately 9,000 children and adults annually, with about half belonging to minority communities.

AIDS Care Ocean State (ACOS), Rhode Island’s largest AIDS service organization, provides housing, case management, medical and nursing care, and prevention to children and adults who are at risk for contracting HIV. Paul Fitzgerald, the Executive Director and CEO of ACOS, said they conduct 1,400 tests a year. Outreach workers visit neighborhoods in Providence with populations highly susceptible to HIV infections. The workers also distribute condoms and clean needles through a needle exchange program.

“People want information, if they’re worried about being (HIV positive), we can test them and refer them into care,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s a very comprehensive program. We’re very inclusive. We’re able to reach out into the gay community, we’re able to reach out into the minority community.” ACOS also supports treatment for children and infants infected with HIV at Hasbro Children’s Hospital and the Miriam Hospital.

“We have an existing network of medical providers,” Fitzgerald said. “We bring kids into care and we follow them very closely. That’s been very effective.” ACOS is also the largest provider of subsidized housing for persons living with HIV/AIDS. Fitzgerald said ACOS has 129 units throughout the state. ACOS received a $1.7 federal grant that will enable the agency to obtain more housing.

“We’re constantly building more housing,” Fitzgerald said, noting there is a huge demand for it. ACOS also runs two support groups, both open to any person who is HIV positive. One is a Gay Male Support Group, which meets on Wednesdays from 1:30 to 3 pm at 156 Broadway in Pawtucket.

The Solace Youth Group is designed for teens and young adults who are living with HIV. Members discuss their struggles and triumphs since learning their HIV positive status. The group meets Tuesdays from 4 to 6 pm at 557 Broad St. in Providence.

Other events in recognition of World AIDS Day included a Rhode Island Department of Health press conference and campaign launch, Getting to Zero: 2013 HIV/STD Summit on Prevention, Testing, and Care, held at the Radisson Hotel-Providence Airport in Warwick, and the Providence RED event, held at the Providence Biltmore.

For more information about AIDS Care Ocean State, go to their web site at www.aidscareos.org. For more information about AIDS Project Rhode Island, go to their web site at www.aidsprojectri.org.