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North Carolina has an estimated
35,000 residents living with HIV/AIDS, Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) told a
congressional roundtable she recently co-hosted. “What that makes clear is that
we not only have a prevention problem, but we also have an access to care
problem,” she noted.
“I’m particularly concerned about
the limited access to appropriate care and HIV specialists for North
Carolinians in our rural communities,” said Hagan. “It is clear that we need to
shine a spotlight on this critical issue, and I’m hopeful that this roundtable
will be a start.”
The state has 31 American Academy of
HIV Medicine-certified physicians, and most are based in Charlotte. Very few
HIV specialists practice in the western part of the state outside of Asheville,
said Dr. Todd Wallenius, medical director of Western North Carolina Community
Health Services, who has provided HIV care for nearly 15 years. But lack of
access to care is not the only barrier: Many patients in rural areas also
struggle with HIV/AIDS stigma.
“It is still tremendously difficult
for patients living in, say, Rutherford County, to get the best care for
reasons ranging from the stigma of an HIV diagnosis to reliable
transportation,” Wallenius said.
Wallenius cited the work of the
Western North Carolina AIDS Project, which serves 18 counties. WNCAP has
launched a new campaign, “Bringing Prevention to Life,” aimed at addressing the
root causes of HIV stigma. “This stigma keeps people from getting tested. Not
getting tested means not getting treatment early, before the disease starts to
destroy the immune system,” said WNCAP Executive Director Jeff Bachar.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
