>> CANDACE CAMPOS AND TROOPER STEVE. THIS IS NEWS 6 AT 9:00.
>> WELCOME BACK.
BETWEEN RESEARCH AND FUNDING
FOR HIV AND AIDS IT IS
CONSTANTLY GROWING.
>> ONE OF THE ORGANIZATIONS WE
LOVE IS HOPE AND HEALTH.
THEY PROVIDE RESOURCES FOR
THOSE LIVING WITH HIV.
>> AND THE COMMUNITY DIRECTOR
JOSHUA MYERS APPEARED ON NEWS
6 AND HE IS BACK.
WE ARE GLAD TO HAVE HIM.
TROY BRIDGES IS HERE AS WELL.
ESPECIALLY THE AIDS WALK AND
BUILDING AWARENESS.
>> AND WE LOVE IT WHEN JOSH IS
HERE BECAUSE HE HAS THE GOOD
INFORMATION ON HOW IT HELPS
CENTRAL FLORIDA AND WHAT THIS
EVENT REALLY MEANS TO CENTRAL
FLORIDA.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
FLORIDA RANKS NUMBER ONE RIGHT
NOW IN HIV AND AIDS CASES.
CONSEQUENTLY ORLANDO IT IS --
ORLANDO IS NUMBER TWO.
WE ARE TRYING TO GENERATE
AWARENESS ABOUT THE
PREVENTATIVE RESOURCES
AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE AFFECTED
BY HIV.
>> AND THOSE NUMBERS ARE
SHOCKING IF YOU HAVEN’T BEEN
INVOLVED AND DON’T REALIZE
IT.
SOME PEOPLE THINK THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT AFFECTS ONE
POPULATION, MAYBE GAY MEN.
BUT WE ARE SEEING STRAIGHT
WOMEN AFFECTED.
IT AFFECTS EVERYONE.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
AND WHEN WE BREAK DOWN THE
STEPS, THERE ARE GROUPS MORE
SAW -- MORE SUSCEPTIBLE FOR
VARIOUS REASONS.
FOR EXAMPLE LET’S LOOK AT THE
BLACK COMMUNITY.
BLACK PEOPLE ACCOUNTED FOR 13%
OF THE NATION’S POPULATION IN
OF THE NATION’S POPULATION IN get any Large Specialty Pizza 2017, HOWEVER, 47% OF ALL NEW
TRANSMISSIONS.
THAT’S ASTRONOMICAL.
WHY IS THIS HAPPENING AND WHAT
ARE THE BARRIERS AND WHY ARE
PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV AND HOW
DID THEY GET THERE?
WITH THE RESOURCES WE ARE
OFFERING AT HOPE AND HEALTH
WHICH IS TARGET TESTING IN
AREAS SUSCEPTIBLE TO HIV WE
PARTNER WITH ORGANIZATIONS TO
OFFER TESTING AND HAVE A GREAT
PREVENTION TEAM FOR THOSE
LIVING WITH HIV WE CAN HELP
YOU MITIGATE THE ISSUES ON
LIVING WITH HIV SUCH AS LACK
OF FINANCING AND RESOURCES AND
BETTER FOOD IN YOUR HOME.
WE OFFER ALL OF THAT FOR YOU
SO YOU CAN LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE
IN GETTING CARE.
>> DO YOU THINK A LOT OF
PEOPLE ESPECIALLY IN THE
YOUNGER POPULATION MAYBE DON’T
TAKE PREVENTION AS SERIOUSLY
BECAUSE BACK IN THE 80s IT
WAS A MUCH -- IT WAS A SERIOUS
THING AS FAR AS IT WAS ALWAYS
A DEATH SENTENCE.
AND AS FAR AS TREATMENT PEOPLE
ARE LIVING LONGER.
DO YOU THINK PEOPLE WHO
WEREN’T AROUND IN THE 80s TO
SEE ALL OF THIS DON’T TAKE IT
AS SERIOUSLY AS WE SHOULD?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
FOR MANY REASONS.
ONE THING THAT WE OFTEN SEE
WITH OUR FOLKS THAT COME
THROUGH OUR DOORS IS I WILL
JUST TAKE A PILL AND I WILL BE
FINE AND IT IS OKAY.
I SPOKE WITH ONE OF OUR
PRODUCERS HERE AND SHE TALKED
ABOUT AN EMERGENCY ROOM NURSE
WHO SHE KNOWS WHO JUST TALKS
ABOUT THE YOUTHS WHO COME IN
AND THEY SEEM TO BE CARELESS
ABOUT HAVING AN STD OR HAVING
HIV.
WE JUST WANT THE KIDS TO KNOW
THAT YOU CAN PREVENT THESE
THINGS IF YOU IOS USE
CONDOMS.
TALK TO YOUR PARTNER ABOUT
SAFER SEX TECHNIQUES AND A
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL ABOUT
WAYS TO PREVENT YOURSELF.
IT IS REALLY SAD SOMETIMES,
BUT WE WANT THE KIDS TO KNOW
THAT WE ARE THERE FOR THEM.
WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO GET INTO
THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS A LITTLE
MORE.
WE WANT TO PARTNER WITH PTA
GROUPS AND ANY OTHER YOUTH
ORGANIZATION SO THEY KNOW
THERE ARE RESOURCES AVAILABLE
AND THEY DON’T HAVE TO LIVE
WITH HIV.
THEY CAN PREVENT IT BY USING
THE RESOURCES.
>> ONE WAY TO GET YOUNG PEOPLE
INVOLVED IS HAVING FUN
EVENTS.
THIS EVENT, AIDS WALK, IS.
IT CAN BE A LOT OF FUN.
>> TALK ABOUT WAYS TO OVERCOME
THE STIGMA.
MANY PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV
FEEL THAT THEY ARE NOT
COMFORTABLE TO SHARE THAT AND
HOW TO OVERCOME THAT AS WELL
AS PEOPLE WHO MAY BE AFRAID TO
GET TESTED.
I KNOW PEOPLE SAY THEY WERE
AFRAID TO BE TESTED EVEN
THOUGH THEY WERE DOING THINGS
THAT MAY BE RISKY.
>> WE BELIEVE THAT THE STIGMA
IS IN AND OF ITSELF A
DISEASE.
THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE WHO
EVEN WHEN I GO TO PITCH FOR
SPONSORS AND DONORS AND MAYBE
TALK TO A DIFFERENT COMMUNITY
GROUP, THE FIRST ASSUMPTION IS
I DON’T HAVE HIV, BUT I AM
PASIONATE ABOUT THE CAUSE AND
PASSIONATE ABOUT THE PEOPLE
WHO ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO HIV.
WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS EDUCATE
PEOPLE.
WE WANT TO EDUCATE PEOPLE
ABOUT HIV AND WHAT IT IS AND
HOW IT IS ACQUIRED AND ALL OF
THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO
PREVENT AND TREAT IT.
WE REDUCE STIGMA.
IF WE CAN DO THAT AS MUCH AS
POSSIBLE, THAT’S GOING TO BE A
GREAT THING.
>> YES.
>> AND THE BIG EVENT IS YOU
ARE EMCEEING IT WITH --
>> WITH ERIC SANDOVAL.
>> ON THE 27th.
>> THAT’S RIGHT.
>> NOT THIS WEEKEND, BUT
NEXT.
>> AND YOU ARE WALKING TWO
LAPS AS TROY AND I ALWAYS DO,
TWO WHOLE LAPSE.
TWO WHOLE LAPS.