The 19th Annual HIV/STD Conference was held in Springfield, Illinois on October 26-28, 2010. The Illinois Department of Public Health sponsors of the event provided a collage of presentations that were definitely on key with the new epi trends of HIV/AIDS and STDs. The following information is for the benefit of health care providers throughout the country. There were seminars, poster presentations, movies such as 'COVER' and 'Paris Is Burning', awards, HIV art exhibits, and good food as well as key note speakers. Bruce and Rosanna Jackson of 'The Gift House', located in the Lawndale community of Chicago, Illinois were in attendance for this event. The Gift House provides screening for HIV/AIDS and STD's testing as well as other services that benefit the community.
M. Keith Rawlings, M.D., was a dynamic and exceptional speaker. His session on HIV/AIDS trends in communities of color provided a knock out punch to health care workers who particpated in this final session of the conference. He is a 'Muhammad Ali' when it come's to telling the truth of what is going on in this millenium when it comes to the issues of HIV/AIDS. Dr. Rawlings opened the session with subtle words addressing the current condition of HIV in communities of color.
Dr. Rawlings stated that there are about 33,000,000 living with HIV/AIDS. Blacks and Hispanics more than whites with blacks having the highest rate of the virus. The treatment you receive depends on what state you live in, "What you get and don't get" according to Dr. Rawlings. Not everybody gets the same thing. Blacks are least likely group accessible to clinical research and it cost more for treatment when you are come in and get a late diagnosis. The old way to provide a treatment regimen was to - test and wait till HIV turned into AIDS. The new way to provide treatment is to - test now and if you are positive treat now.
In the past Dr. Rawlings has had to delay treatment of patients who tested positive. One patient was told that it was not necessary to start you on medication right now and treatment would have to be delayed until you became worst. Then he would have to advise the just the opposite. Public health recommendations were to identify and get them into care. The medicines are paid for through our public system. This is an impact on communities of color. The different in treatment of AIDS/HIV was a matter of numbers. Numbers meant who got the benefit of treatment.
Patients began to die, not from the HIV/AIDS they harbored in their bodies but from non-HIV/AIDS related causes such as renal failure, heart failure and cardiovascular disease. Dr. Rawlings stated that there are 87.8% of patients with HIVAN (HIV-Associated Nephropathy) are African American and in Salt Lake City, Utah alone 70% of blacks are on dialysis. HIV is a chronic inflammatory problem and causes HIV wasting along with nephropathy (kidney disease). Distrust by minorities is noted and proven by past historical events when medications are not given at same levels initially used in therapy. Because the provider of medicines for treatment is white, black's would have to wait up to a year to begin treatment.
Another contributing factor to death of patient depended on their ability to stop smoking. Half of deaths not related to HIV/AIDS but to the overall health problems steming from the liver, kidney or cardiovascular system. There will be health challenges for 2011 with access to medicine and care. There is a burden of Cancer among HIV-infected persons in the U.S. population. Health care reform will have a challenge in meeting patient population change. ACTUP when it comes to policy, protest and the patient. Stategies will have to change due to the fact that we are not in the 90's but in a different century and millenium period. "If you going to do it be good at it" was a final quote of Dr. Keith Rawlings. The knock out punch of words written all over his boxing glove of truth when it comes to dealing with HIV/AIDS in communities of color were "ADJUST YOUR BEHAVIOR".
I must say I will love to take front seat any time this 'Muhammed Ali of Medicine' repeats his information in his knock out punch to the underserved communities.
Parents be aware of your children's cell phone. More adolescents are sending text messaging of unappropriate behavior across the cell phones. Children can be arrested and fined for sending nude photos of themselves, or indecent photos to others across the cell phone internet. Please advise them to use their phone in a respectable manner.
For those who have been diagnosed with colorectal cancer please be advised that they are now finding out that some diagnosis of cancer were incorrect and the cancer was coming from an infection that is easily treatable. When you have your annual check-up there will be new procedures with regard to communicable diseases. Clinicians have been advised to monitor the oral and anal cavity along with the genital area for infection. Dr. Wong in his presentation at the Illinois Department of Public Health conference stated that if all areas are not checked and examined, it may result in a misdiagnosis of a communicable infection.
