Connecting the Community; 2833; Increased Incidence of HIV

it's unclear or teeny bit evening and welcome to connect in the community and rob and rich are about thirty years ago the united states was hit with the new disease that primarily affected white man who had sex with men in large metropolitan areas today what we now know as a jockey and eight affect approximately one point five million homosexuals and heterosexual men and women the old and the young blacks and whites in all colors in between in the past few years many health officials and prevention organization think the general public has been a mass the size of the

spread of the disease and in recent years foreign aid for a jockey has been increasing calmness a present its campuses on domestic abstinence education policy that is until now first reported in the new york times the centers for disease control and prevention recently published in the august sixth edition of the journal of the american medical association that the united states has significantly under reported the number of new age of the infections occur internationally each year showing that the annual infection rate is forty percent higher than previously estimated or fifteen thousand new cases higher per year while the report states that age it still affects men who have sex with men the number of black men and women as startlingly disproportionate as you'll hear tonight with us to talk about the new report are to read marcel davis the executive director of community information that work which offers a driving

prevention testing and counseling services to the african american community doug landreth the prevention program coordinator with okaloosa aids support an informational services or oasis which offers testing prevention case management and legal services for persons living with a chevy and aids particularly in particularly in the gay community and scott mclean va h i v e n a surveillance for better with the florida department of health he collects data for area wind which covers escambia santa rosa okaloosa and walton counties in northwest florida so thank you all gentlemen for being here scott viewed you for you've heard the report you read it fifteen thousand cases is no small difference what went wrong with the reporting well first of all these are estimates these are not numbers of reported cases and there's a big difference reporting cases means that person's have been diagnosed and

recorded with a child the year aids these estimates are armed using that data about adding other data today in our mathematical model to be able to estimate the actual number of a foot infections that are occurring and will so so why not this estimate been done this before and i mean this is pretty fitting thousands pretty startling whether it's an estimate or the actual number of votes because we have a mutual available at our disposal that was developed her some years ago as you know and we screened the population for each it oh you's a test and that's a screening test called an ally so that test her several years ago was developed to result in a pair of these tests a sensitive and a less sensitive test that actually differentiate differentiates between persons who were recently infected and people were infected more distant way in the past so it's with the numbers of those who were recently in

affected that we can apply this mathematical model and revised these estimates and thus it's not that there are rarely under reported they're just more accurate now because we have the ability to distinguish new infection so escambia county santa rosa okaloosa and walton counties in two thousand seven had about a hundred and forty two so we age it cases and would not end clinton aides and that number is a reasonable then to rizzo that that those numbers those estimates were forty percent higher so that number then is in fact about two hundred new cases it's possible i mean we're just talking again about those persons who have voluntarily stop testing and then identified with a trendy infection these numbers have never included those persons who are infected by doing that know their status because they haven't been tested reverend dave zuma will get back to their talking about that the prevention and in the testing a little bit later in the show rob marshall davis are you shocked by the numbers and in the report specifically as it relates to the african american

community the disproportionate number of ways in the economic team well actually not really shocked about the high number because it is the time for that american women who started testing nothing now that more after americans again tested were renamed the diagnosis got a c and five these individuals over with a chevy amazed as you know blacks account for six percent of all persons little italy needs but only fourteen percent of the population so this number increase of open that need knowledge rights of inmates will also increase and that american community and that will take a stance to start to be tested so he's personally identify they get proper treatment now it's good solid ice interviews will see this that you're a pastor reverend marcel david does this mean that the geology of abstinence and monogamy and sexual preferences back open for debate debate with these increasing numbers will what would the church has to understand is that there's always places of what the

conflict was ok so now you know we have to deal with this conflict this way as people become more educated about safer six pack says about what has happened now legislative the one other cities i think about walter will take place in the church said in the end person who might need the chores not to to abstain from having sex until marriage wait until the conversation comes up really that we look at the church over the years until conversation came out until a conflict grows was all that's when something took place if when jesus met the woman at the well if you will never took the time to talk with her at a controversial situation might not be in that was narrative is she would never receive a little warmer where she could live forever and that's what that american church is facing right now is that we have to have a style all so that our communities can receive the treatment the test and the education that they need in order to help stop

the second of every spring to mourn after american energy but let's go on the other side that landreth what was your initial reaction to the cdc's new estimates flew in from forty thousand per year new cases to fifty six thousand per year again and again primarily in the gimmick in the gay male community i think as far as the statistics that increased number and that's just that we have more advanced models that we can use in the statistical in and the reign of data collection i think what's more alarming as far as the the day and bisexual community or maybe that set of man is the disproportionate amount of infection in that community here in northwest florida the us census bureau estimates that there are almost twenty four thousand men who have sex with other me in here an area one of northwest florida which makes up about five percent

of the local population however that five percent account for forty four percent of aids cases here and almost half of all deaths related to aids and aids complications life here in northwest florida so on so that's more alarming to me in the fact that we spent a time when we have less sophisticated data collection systems in place why don't the eighties and i was brought up all of us are heard someone say the company in alignment terms this new data that's been put out india rate of ajami prevention in the infection rates without always know what direction we were going in that we didn't have that accurate based the bomber and this is more or less what we just really got against the

bomber now to get better picture of how how fast how western diseases is his main transmitted to your to your speedometer run analogy ok scott let's get to the new test that was mentioned in that the cdc report on a reverse the acronym for stars and sarah logic testing algorithm for recent age of the sarah conversion glad i'm not a medical doctor when i get now is that i tell someone if they have it and then when they have to explain that for us two different allies are tests as i said before one is sensitive one is less sensitive so if a person tests positive and to sensitive test and negative on the less sensitive test that means they had a recent infection in recent years within the past five months five six muslims yes and then if they test conversely you know if they're negative on the sensitive testing positive on bolton that means that their infection was

actually longer ago than six months so why why could someone know when the disease was contracted before stars hey now the testing really didn't tell us that you just told us that a person was infected with a charity and then on there's always been this window period and testing i made used to be a bed when a person tested when a person was exposed at each it it may take upwards of six months before they produced antibodies which is the test what the testing was for not the virus itself but antibodies formed in response to the virus so if we're testing out a window period of six months that meant that if a person was exposed to recently and went and got tested they may test falsely negative so now the test is more sensitive and a person will show positive on today's testing within an average of twenty five days

after exposure an infection with h i v to a maximum of about three months so the allies a test has become more sensitive over time and in the course of making it more sensitive to it was discovered that if you used two different tests one that was sensitive and less sensitive that you could actually identify those persons who were infected very recently an end and the stars is a blood test it as opposed to what we're going to talk about next is that the the swap has rights and you have to intentionally have a blood test is order to get to know when you were infected yes and they're testing on has to be done well largely through public settings like health departments and community based organizations but also persons who test positive in the private sector experience are available then that is also sent to laboratory for stars tested is this big news in the medical community that the stars terrence stars testing is really very big news

because it means that we have a surveillance system in this country now that is the force through its kind in the world that can differentiate between race and an older age than the infection and i'm actually has more far reaching implications than just data because in the future when a person can be tested with stars say hats under doctor's office or whenever it also helps to narrow and identify where the infection came from and can greatly enhanced contact tracing and partner notification and help stop the spread by identifying others who may need a chatty testing services as well where neighbors your year whereas those who say the rubber meets the road what does this new test change for you and and and then and then i want you to back this up and and have us understand how you test now as opposed to the stars has which is not scott the star says it's not widely disseminated now correct and the stars testing that we're

doing now is widespread in twenty two states that have a chat infection recording by name but it is not nationwide ok ok so when they was you don't have it on the ground with online informational warfare so how do you test now how we test now with the snow with a little person to call for sure where his orchards place in the val author of the person's well overall four minutes and after this was to place in the two and then there's tesla for the hr the antibodies and it takes about two weeks for the test to come back and now doing that testing process is a protest ngos or go along with it was a protest house of was that data's very good for the cdc to collect to see how the peer groups are affected in a chevy ski an end then here on the ground with the we were talking earlier talking about this program empowerment where you're actually going out and to social settings

and and doing testing to explain that and how to use it or share in in the gay community but one of the reasons that we're using our direct funding for the from the cdc for empowerment project is that it is a culturally sensitive and socially of farming prevention intervention that it's tailored course the needs of young gay and bisexual me in and explained that a farming socially a theme park it means that it's it's it's not it intervention or it's not a very structured setting oh where a climate of homophobia stigma to some says all seer the top of the expectations of masculinity may not be met that's it avoids a situation where someone is young gay or

bisexual to come into an environment where it he is easily and readily accepted and the prevention and materials and the information is exposed to has been a specifically tailored informed to be relevant to his law so callousness or sure then you can take into our own and a nightclub and roasted taking into what that the stars would you have to do this is that digital or something and so the person taking the test and have to come into an office setting correct that is done by you know members of the gay and bisexual community so there's that built in trust acceptance so there's no unnecessary sense of nervousness or apprehension to access some more

structured healthcare and that's begun nervousness and apprehension if you take on mars rover marcel davis said that if you take two weeks to get my test that i'm going to be pretty nervous if i think that i've been exposed to that the virus when you think about that both the stars and the new or quick on that the one in and explained what the work week is well below the kind of what we use is for sure which is a laurel test and that specimen is gathered sent to the state land and then we wait partly to its to have the results returned to us the or a quick is manufacture about the same company however to let you actually get the initial test result their own site in the presence of media like it's been tested so you know instead of having to wait across me to

wait for the return of results from a state lab where sleep with this new testing or quick should be able to give results in about forty five minutes the testing itself usually takes about twenty five minutes actually produced results of that even with the us we like to take about twenty five minute risk assessment and iron this song well for prevention education while we have a client here that now let's listen up the best equipment in the naysayers will point out for both raymond davis an answer for scott that this new report seems to get ammunition but the abstinence programs and the prevention programs handing out condoms and things like that are not working if you have this increased incidence would would you agree when they visit our reach that that outreach methods are are are not working in and if he would change anything about what would that be i would not agree with that i

think that our roots our region than it is our work and if you were not of it is our roots and immigrants is in place just think what the numbers would be there would be astronomical but then also like just safer as tiger was so it was a room that night have a collaboration with our aid to seniors with keeping it real we started something called keepin it real friday where we have oil would go to office or we have in our office we come in we have a hot dog lunch in a while have assad go into afternoon the real stories were actually talking to people making impossible not take an interest in this counseling because of his office week we talked about the sweet wait you know to take the apprehension of them haven't weighed two weeks off of the test so one that heroes of question this type programs are working if you meet one of our peer advocates on the street lego our workers like brownsville or may with and they fear if you find that you can go to these places and

these people are equipped well i can say with their cars so if you did have these type in avengers i'll think that the numbers would be a lot higher would you do any advocacy for mandatory testing no i wouldn't do that without i would i would go after the audience to say there was another community leaders to say this is important and has like the highlight one church that we were just in the levers town america with pastor charles you know we just went out there with a seventy tests he made importers carnation team know your status we need to have more downloads of more bonuses income once they know your status that is not a death sentence to know your status also like to say in the political season is at all that politicians platform to say what you say about each of the elites and worries and about healthcare for people to have health disparities so that we can get as thou lot before it with a film or cancel the ticket has enormous that steiger you're shaking it really talked about the church is an unusual

that that the church would test that many no i don't think so i have working in public health public health has always looked to the community and to partnerships with the community to be able to be most effective in controlling the spread of disease and addressing other public health problems cdc in recent years has revised their emphasis on prevention in a very big way and part of that is what mark raymond davis is talking about is sound taking the stigma out of the test and making people understand that it's a good thing to do and we want to make a chubby testing were chained and for men who have sex with men cdc recommends a baby tested one time a year as a routine measure it's like well wellness checkup

and we want to do the same thing with all of the communities who are disproportionately affected by the disease to make them understand that i am the key to controlling the sporadic and keeping the epidemic from getting worse is to test only advocate for something like that now understand you were for the forty four minute hail but how how the youth advocate for war this is the sort of standardized testing so someone goes into alert to their doctor's office and you get your blood pressure checked your way chicken you get in a timely test that's what i hear that that you're trying to standardize and how do you ever advocate for that win that you have an administration that says we only want you to talk about abstinence on abstinence is a whole different ballgame than what we're focusing on in good public health and that is the key to controlling any

diseases to first and then a fire and things have changed radically would they chimed in eggs over the course of the epidemic now we know that if a person isn't in a fight with a chunky early we can prevent aids from a quarry we can keep the person help me a long long time in fact it was just released recently that said a person who has identified with a chain of infection in their twenties can look to live a normal lifespan if their infections and then a fight early and they stay in care in treatment so we want to prevent aids most of the time when people test unfortunately it's because they're set and many times are diagnosed with ok it and at the same time and we would like to break that pattern and have people test regularly if they are at risk and if they are infected find out as soon as possible and that is a search or could you make the case for more dollars more prevention dollars especially it says more money has been

going over its overseas and and less domestically could you could this new cdc case make the case for more preventing dollars domestically why would be overturned an additional funding to us that we have to not that i don't like it was the literary work i do think that regardless of whether there's increased dollars i do think that in recent years the cdc has panama it's better job of audio find sites based proven interventions that we know to be culturally relevant for whatever population they're trying to focus on and forcefully with a limited amount of resources and that pot of money candidates shifted the rial from year to year so each age demographic

you know is on this merry go round where ever was the quality of sufficient funding knowing that you know it's not too far down the line that you're probably going to be in the situation we're not getting enough funding you know i had to work at just sit and to make of your laws and the stand that all you know sometimes these you put on the back burner because until this test came out of something that we were quarter funded the sailors on the back for i think that now that in this in this season that we give for people to push for more dollars for intervention as well as for will hear for people in later the base as a as the the democratic are primaries ended now the da the spirit is have it in the back seat we were like how like you're saying because because the prison candidate a broad obama as an african american didn't get the issue is before and more african americans were finding no that since you have two

candidates from both political parties and that was really talk about the health care or health disparities now you know we were taught about the economy but one is it makes the healthy economy is will people so so then our people would come in as we want our people would come in a nest the size too soon the message then i mean if the numbers are either increasing or sort of the same to say i'm scott just jump in on that that lightens it is i think that we need to keep it i think we need to keep health issues out for in this country because of the you know what the people that are not healthy because they can't get services we visited a problem that was true with the united have a strong america so i think that right now that we don't need to allow this to be pushing a bad or a good because there are people out here that have a benefit from seeing a doctor and being educated wednesdays at that time a saturday gets caught in elko nevada nest the size question art are you finding that people in a nasa size to the message i find it by a large people become fatigued by

constant messages about a charity and aids and i'm actually in this new data report that's coming out i think he has opened people's eyes and made them wake up and say you know we really can't ignore this anymore because the problem is still very much with us in fact it's with us to a greater extent than we had any idea before and i would like to make a comment about abstinence only based as your last seconds go ahead it is the only thing that's one hundred percent effective but in addition to that we have to make sure that people have complete information about how to be safe should they choose to not have staying in to have sex quite well will and that right there that's all the time we have our show we'd like to thank our guest or marcel davis with community information network that landreth with vocalists eight supported information services and scott mclean with the florida department of health remember to check us out online at ws sorry got a

largely from all of us here at pbs thanks for joining us i'm robin wisch are encouraging to read a book he's been the fbi