It’s an alarming statistic: 1 in 43 people in Baltimore is living with HIV. For the size of its population, Maryland has more people living with HIV than any other state.
Treatment for HIV is getting better. People are living longer, and their quality of life is improving. But many people who have the virus don’t know they have it, and they haven’t been tested. And many who are tested don’t get treated. June 27th is National HIV Testing Day. What prevents people from knowing their status, and what’s happening to reduce the high rate of incidence here in Baltimore? As many as 800 people could be tested in the city tomorrow as part of “Baltimore’s 6th Annual City Uprising Block Party and Health Fair.”
Joining Sheilah in the studio is Dr. Robert Redfield, associate director of the Institute for Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, who directs the Institute’s clinical care and research. Also with us is Derek Spencer, Executive Director of the institute’s JACQUES Initiative, which stands for Joint AIDS Community Quest for Unique and Effective Treatment Strategies.
During this interview, we also heard from Jamie Mignano, Program Director for Development & Information Dissemination for the JACQUES Initiative. She spoke with Sheilah Kast yesterday.
