The Bronx's fight against HIV stigmatization

Host Weaver:

This morning, members of the Bronx community joined together, marching to end stigmatization against HIV, and other illnesses. Reporter Flora Warshaw has the story.

Warshaw 1:

Down on East 166th and Grand Concourse in the Bronx, a group of people are gathering from different community based organizations. Housing Works, Bronx Care, the HIV planning council are among many preparing to march all the way down to the Bronx courthouse where they will be meeting the Bronx Borough President, Vanessa L Gibson, and hold a rally to raise awareness.

Bronx, are you ready? Yes, we are. Bronx, are you ready? Fire out. Ready?

Warshaw 2:

The representative for the Bronx borough president, Rafael Gomez, spoke about the awareness that is needed for HIV medical care.

Gomez:

The Bronx is one of the most diverse communities that we have here in New York City.

Uh, but along with that diversity also comes a lot of different stigmas so we need to ensure that, um, our community is aware of that so that we can provide medical care, social services. And our community based organizations can provide more personalized care, so that way we can make sure that we break those stigmas.

Warshaw 3 :

When the initial cases of HIV emerged in the 1980s, very little was known about the disease. There were no tests or treatments and most patients died within months of displaying symptoms. A lack of understanding surrounding this disease meant there was wide scale stigmatization. Yet despite breakthroughs in treatment that now mean people can live with HIV, many still suffer from stigmatization, as described by Charmaine Graham, the coordinator of today’s march.

Graham:

Now we have medication and um, people can go in, get their treatment and they can be, well live a normal life. There are people who stigmatize individual by, um, avoid using, uh, utensils. They feel like if they touch people that can get HIV and we know that can't happen.

Warshaw 4:

People can now live a normal life because of medicines like PREP, which is a daily medication that significantly reduces the risk of HIV transmission from sex or injection drug use.

But in the Bronx, a report released in 2022 showed the borough had the lowest rates of new patients taking PrEP. The community also has the largest rate of new diagnosis compared to other boroughs.

In recent months, access to prep has decreased because of the Trump administration’s decision to halt all global health funding, including Pepfar, back in January. Pepfar is a U.S. government initiative aimed at addressing the global HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Warshaw 5:

Emma Curtis, a member of Housing Works, says its really important for people to get the HIV care that they need

Curtis:

Since PEPFAR has been paused, so many people have been dying because they haven't been able to get the treatment that they need,

Warshaw 6:

Pepfar accounts for more than 90% of PrEP initiations globally.

Curtis:

 So all of our care in Puerto Rico and Haiti, they're not getting any of their medications. And what about in the States? Same with the States. It is mostly pause.

Warshaw 7:

From here all the way to Puerto Rico, HIV is a global issue. So for now, the community here in the Bronx will keep fighting for awareness. Flora Warshaw, Columbia Radio News.