Fighting Stigma and Preventing HIV

Photo is of PPP staffer Kareem Mims and his associate Monica Hillard demonstrating an immediate HIV test

***Last Friday, in honor of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD), I attended Prevention Point Philadelphia's (PPP) program. 

===> PPP has enrolled one of the largest populations in HIV preventive medicine in the USA.

🔬 In just two hours, Kareem, Monica, and the testing team tested 33 patients. Crucially, they identified one patient with a known positive diagnosis, and reconnected them to care with PPP’s HIV clinic.

🎤 Speakers included Prevention Healthcare Coordinator Kareem Mims, Lead Executive Officer Silvana Mazzella, and PPP participant and volunteer Mark Knox. 

⚕️ February 7 the actual day for NBHAAD, a day dedicated to raising awareness about the disproportionate impact of HIV on Black communities. 

🏥 First observed in 1999, NBHAAD highlights the importance of community involvement and improved access to HIV education, prevention, testing, and treatment services.

🩺 Medicine has come such a long way since the height of the AIDS epidemic. 

💊 As we already know, people living with HIV can now have long, healthy lives with the proper treatment. 

*** However, we have a long way to go towards lowering stigma, discrimination, income inequality, and other factors that affect people's risk of acquiring HIV and ability to access treatment. 

🌎 Visit here to learn about PPP's HIV testing, prevention, and treatment programs: https://lnkd.in/ee-RU3p3

🩸 Photo below is of PPP staffer Kareem Mims and his associate Monica Hillard demonstrating an immediate HIV test in front of program participants (intentionally not photographed). No matter what a patient’s results are, our staff will be there to guide them to the next steps in their care.