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Strides Against HIV/AIDS Falter During Pandemic
By Sarah Varney, Kaiser Health News
Wednesday, April 21, 2021 (Kaiser News) Facing a yearlong siege from the coronavirus, the defenses in another, older war are faltering.
For the last two decades, HIV/AIDS has been held at bay by potent antiviral drugs, aggressive testing and inventive public education campaigns. But the COVID-19 pandemic has caused profound disruptions in almost every aspect of that battle, grounding outreach teams, sharply curtailing testing and diverting critical staff away from laboratories and medical centers.
The exact impact of one pandemic on the other is still coming into focus, but preliminary evidence is disturbing experts who have celebrated the enormous strides in HIV treatment. While the shift in priorities is nationwide, delays in testing and treatment carry particularly grievous risks in Southern states, now the epicenter of the nation’s HIV crisis.
Black people account for 27% of Alabama’s population and 70% of new HIV cases
Updated 7:21 AM;
Today 7:21 AM
Gregory (no last name given) in 2002 takes a daily dose of medication to combat the AIDS virus. He was part of a group which is lobbying the legislature for more funding for the Alabama Drug Assistance Program. The program provides medications for people with HIV/AIDS who have no drug coverage insurance and who meet certain income guidelines.ph
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Facing a yearlong siege from the coronavirus, the defenses in another, older war are faltering.
For the last two decades, HIV/AIDS has been held at bay by potent antiviral drugs, aggressive testing and inventive public education campaigns. But the COVID-19 pandemic has caused profound disruptions in almost every aspect of that battle, grounding outreach teams, sharply curtailing testing and diverting critical staff away from laboratories and medical centers.
Brooke Parker, an organizer with the group Solutions Oriented Addiction Response, displays an HIV testing kit in Charleston, W.Va., in March. Outbreaks of HIV/AIDS are expected to rise as resources have been redirected to the fight against COVID-19 delaying and sometimes cutting off HIV testing and treatment. John Raby/AP
toggle caption John Raby/AP
Brooke Parker, an organizer with the group Solutions Oriented Addiction Response, displays an HIV testing kit in Charleston, W.Va., in March. Outbreaks of HIV/AIDS are expected to rise as resources have been redirected to the fight against COVID-19 delaying and sometimes cutting off HIV testing and treatment.
Brooke Parker, an organizer with the group Solutions Oriented Addiction Response, displays an HIV testing kit in Charleston, W.Va., in March. Outbreaks of HIV/AIDS are expected to rise as resources have been redirected to the fight against COVID-19 delaying and sometimes cutting off HIV testing and treatment. (John Raby/AP)
Facing a yearlong siege from the coronavirus, the defenses in another, older war are faltering.
For the last two decades, HIV/AIDS has been held at bay by potent antiviral drugs, aggressive testing and inventive public education campaigns. But the COVID-19 pandemic has caused profound disruptions in almost every aspect of that battle, grounding outreach teams, sharply curtailing testing and diverting critical staff away from laboratories and medical centers.