SAN ANTONIO — Despite medical advancements in prevention and care, AIDS continues to have a stigma attached to it—a stigma that local advocates say is the primary source that's kept HIV spreading throughout the globe.
"Stigma can freeze a person," said Michele Durham, executive director for the organization BEAT AIDS, which stands for Black Effort Against the Threat of AIDS. "Stigma can cause a paralysis of all of us."
Durham says eliminating judgement associated with HIV could help prevent new infections.
"People are willing to say, 'I was diagnosed with cancer or diabetes or even high blood pressure,' But how often do we hear individuals throughout San Antonio and the globe coming out and saying, 'I was diagnosed with HIV.'?"
Sunday marked Zero Stigma Day, a call for the community to shatter negative attitudes and beliefs that someone may have a sexually transmitted infection (STI), a mental health or substance abuse disorder, or be part of the LGBTQ community just because they're living with HIV.
"Zero stigma would enable people to feel confident that going to get a test, whether someone sees me or not, is a big deal," Durham said. "We're calling this a status-neutral approach. It doesn't matter if you're living with HIV or you're not."
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 12.1% of newly diagnosed people and 10% of all people living with HIV reside in Texas.
"They continue to call the southern United States the Bible Belt," Durham said. "I think that along with the Bible Belt comes a lot more judgement and stigma, perhaps, than some of the other parts of the United States."
BEAT AIDS offers free tests at its clinics, and will come directly to where residents are. Oftentimes, people learn of their diagnosis after a trip to the emergency room.
AIDSVu, which maps out where in the U.S. HIV carries a heavier toll, paints the alarming reality for San Antonio: One in five newly diagnosed residents are between 14 and 24 years old.
"That means our high school and college students," Durham points out. "So we've got to continue to get the word out."
To diminish the number of new infections, experts recommend getting tested and treated. With just the prick of a finger, you can learn if you're living with HIV in a matter of minutes.
To learn more about how to protect yourself from contracting HIV, where you can get tested, and what resources are available for treatment, visit www.BEATAIDS.org. BEAT AIDS will also go to your home to give you a test, if needed.
By testing ZERO STIGMA to 44321, you can make a donation to the organization to help with their mission.