SCRAP
SCRAP THE
SCRAP THE CITY'S FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS DISPLAY THIS YEAR.
>>> NOW, TODAY IS NATIONAL HIV
TESTING DAY.
TESTING DAY. >> JUNE 27TH MARKS THIS DAY TO
TAKE A MOMENT AND PUT YOUR
HEALTH FIRST.
HEALTH FIRST. AN HIV TEST TAKES A FEW MINUTES.
BUT TODAY ALSO WE NEED TO
REMEMBER IS VERY EMOTIONAL FOR A
LOT OF PEOPLE.
ADRIENNE BROADDUS SAT DOWN WITH
MONEY MINNESOTAN LIVING WITH HIV
-- WITH ONE MINNESOTAN LIVING
WITH HIV.
WITH HIV.
WITH HIV. >> Reporter: IT'S A DIAGNOSIS
NOBODY WANTS.
NOBODY WANTS. >> YOU CAN WALK INTO YOUR WORK
ENVIRONMENT AND TELL YOUR
COWORKERS I HAVE CANCER.
AND YOU'LL GET EMPATHY,
SYMPATHY, SUPPORT.
SYMPATHY, SUPPORT. THE SAME ISN'T TRUE WITH HIV.
>> Reporter: BUT SO MUCH HAS
CHANGED ABOUT HIV AND AIDS OVER
THE PAST THREE DECADES.
PEOPLE WITH HIV ARE LIVING
LONGER AND HEALTHIER LIVES
THANKS TO IMPROVED TREATMENTS.
>> THE BIGGEST CHANGE IS THAT WE
HAVE A LOT MORE TOOLS AS FAR AS
LIVING WITH HIV AND PREVENTING
HIV.
HIV.
HIV. MY
HIV. MY NAME IS PAUL.
I'M THE COORDINATOR FOR JUSTICE
HEALTH.
HEALTH.
HEALTH. I
HEALTH. I TESTED POSITIVE MYSELF
IN 2003.
IN 2003.
IN 2003. SO I'VE BEEN LIVING WITH HIV FOR
15 PLUS YEARS.
>> Reporter: PAUL HAS BEEN ON A
MISSION TO REDUCE THE STIGMA
ASSOCIATED WITH HIV AND AIDS.
THE CDC HAS BACKED A CAMPAIGN HE
PROMOTES ON HIS --
>> IF A PERSON WHO IS
UNDETECTABLE GETS THEIR VIRAL
LOAD DOWN TO A SUPPRESSED LEVEL,
THEY ARE NOT ACTUALLY ABLE TO
TRANSMIT THE DISEASE TO ANYONE
ELSE.
ELSE.
ELSE. HAVING A SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP
WITH SOMEONE WHO IS HIV POSITIVE
WHO IS UNDETECTABLE IS JUST AS
SAFE AS ANYONE ELSE.
ARGUABLY EVEN SAFER BECAUSE
PEOPLE THAT ARE UNDETECTABLE
KNOW THEIR STATUS.
MY LIFE EXPECTANCY IS JUST AS
LONG AS ANYBODY ELSE MY AGE.
THAT'S BECAUSE THE SCIENCE HAS
REALLY CHANGED.
REALLY CHANGED. >> HAS THE STIGMA AROUND THE
DISEASE?
DISEASE?
DISEASE? >> THE STIGMA IS STILL THERE.
IT'S NOT AS BAD AS IT WAS, YOU
KNOW, BACK IN THE '80s AND '90s.
THERE WAS STIGMA AND FEAR.
A LOT OF STIGMA AND FEAR.
NOW THERE'S MORE STIGMA AND
MISINFORMATION.
MISINFORMATION. >> I KNOW PEOPLE WHO ARE
DIAGNOSED WITH DISEASES THAT ARE
INCURABLE.
INCURABLE. AND THEY WANTED TO END
EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING. HOW DID YOU KEEP GOING?
>> I WAS WORKING FOR AN
EXECUTIVE WHO WAS NOT DOING WELL
IN HER BATTLE WITH CANCER.
AND SHE RETIRED.
AND ON THE DAY OF HER RETIREMENT
IT WAS THE FIRST EXECUTIVE THAT
I CAME OUT TO.
AND SHE LOOKED ME STRAIGHT IN
THE EYES AND SAID YOU MIGHT NOT
BEAT THIS DISEASE, BUT DON'T
EVER LET IT BEAT YOU.
AND A COUPLE WEEKS LATER SHE
PASSED AWAY.
PASSED AWAY. AND I ALWAYS REMEMBERED THAT,
AND I TAKE THAT WITH ME EVERY
SINGLE DAY.
SINGLE DAY. >> THANK GOD SHE GAVE HIM THAT
GIFT.
GIFT.
GIFT. FOR
GIFT. FOR HIM TO BE ABLE TO BE WITH US
NOW AND EDUCATE US ON HIV.
>> UNDOUBTEDLY.
>> UNDOUBTEDLY. AND I REALLY FROM THE BOTTOM OF
MY HEART THANK ADRIAN FOR THAT
STORY TODAY.
STORY TODAY. IT WAS HER PITCH.
I'M HAPPY SHE DID IT.
WHEN YOU'RE THE LATTER END OF
MILLENNIAL, WE WERE BODY SLAMMED
WITH HIV SHAME OR INFORMATION OR
DANGER, DANGER, DANGER WHEN WE
WERE KIDS.
WERE KIDS. THAT WAS THE PLATFORM.
AND I FEEL LIKE THE WORD HASN'T
GOTTEN OUT SO MUCH ABOUT HOW HIV
HAS COME A LONG WAY AS SHE WAS
DESCRIBING.
DESCRIBING. WHEN SHE SAID YOU COULD TAMP
DOWN THE VIRUS TO A POINT WHERE
YOU CAN'T SPREAD IT ANYMORE, I
DID NOT KNOW THAT UNTIL RIGHT
NOW.
NOW.
NOW. I'M
NOW. I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE REAL
INFORMATION COMING OUT NOW.
>> THAT INFORMATION IS OUT
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. PEOPLE HAVE TO ACCESS IT.
>> THAT'S WHAT I MEAN.
>> IN THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY I'VE
KNOWN THAT FOR A LONG TIME.
THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT FOR
HIM TO TELL THE STORY.
WE'RE NOT FAR FROM THE TIME WHEN
PEOPLE WERE DYING FROM AIDS IN
THE '80s.
THE '80s.
THE '80s. A KID FROM INDIANA CONTRACTED
HIV IN A BLOOD TRANSFUSION.
HE WAS A LITTLE KID.
HE WAS THE FIRST PERSON THAT
EVER WAS ON THE COVER OF A
MAGAZINE THAT WASN'T QUEER THAT
HAD HIV.
HAD HIV.
HAD HIV. AND IT STARTED TO CHANGE THE
CONVERSATION.
CONVERSATION. BUT WE NEED TO KEEP HAVING IT.
SO WE ERADICATE THAT DISEASE AS
A WHOLE.
A WHOLE.
A WHOLE. THERE ARE SEVERAL CLINICS AROUND
THE STATE OF MINNESOTA THAT
OFFER FREE HIV TESTING.
WE HAVE A LINK AT KARE11.COM.
AND WE'LL HAVE IT ON THE BTN
FACEBOOK PAGE.
FACEBOOK PAGE. WE ALSO HAVE WAYS TO FIND LOCAL
SUPPORT RESOURCES FOR YOU IF
YOU'RE LIVING WITH HIV OR AIDS
SO YOU HAVE SOMEWHERE