welcome back one of my favorite
organizations that gets results for the
community is hope and help and the
health center provides treatment and
resources for people living with HIV and
later this month they're counting the
steps as a way to further the mission so
to share the mission with us joining us
today about the hope and health aids
walk is Lisa Barr the executive director
of hope and help and the cumene
community director Josh Meyers good
morning to both of you think is much so
what's this event all about AIDS Walk
Orlando has been around for a long time
since 1995 and it's our opportunity to
raise awareness about HIV in Orlando and
all the different resources that are at
people's our disposal to prevent
developing HIV and so we're gonna have a
great time at Lake Eola Park we have a
couple hundred people walking and
celebrating all those who are living
with HIV and really having a great time
with our folks and you mentioned all of
those resources I mean for people who
haven't been to help and help I mean
there is so much going on and so many
resources available you know the health
clinic tell folks who might not know
yeah we are a full-service organization
now so anyone who needs services from
primary care to HIV specialty care we
also do HRT for people who are
transitioning transgender community and
we also have the wraparound services so
we do case management we have a
prevention team that hopefully helps
people not get HIV because it is a
preventable disease so a lot of
education a lot of outreach we test over
5,000 people annually to make sure that
they're knowing their status because
that is the most important thing is if
you are HIV positive to get them to care
very soon and to stay in to care and you
know this is not like it was in the 80s
I mean the treatment options and
everything has evolved so much and one
of your missions is to remove the stigma
absolutely absolutely it's you know no
one asked you may I take your
cholesterol readings and may I check
your
sugar levels so the stigma around HIV it
is a long-term chronic disease it is no
longer a death sentence people do die
from complications related to AIDS but
it is not something if they're in care
that will happen soon so someone who's
diagnosed today can live a long healthy
life as long as they're in care and
that's the key to everything that we're
doing lately and how many people does
hope and help hope and help help
throughout they say that again well we
service thousands of folks between the
testing and outreach that we do at
community colleges health fairs and
other organizations and then there's
also the folks that come see us an or a
medical clinic that have become patients
of hope and help so we're sitting around
a couple thousand folks and we're
encouraging them to spread the word
about the services that they're getting
at hope and help and also with our
campaign that we have going on it's
called choose to protect and there are
four main tenants we're encouraging
everyone to number one talk about safer
sex to talk about your experience with
HIV we're encouraging everyone to get
tested and we're encouraging people to
use condoms often as as possible and
also to learn about prep which is a
medication that is one of the many tools
and our arsenal of fighting against HIV
but it's a medication that you take
daily and it will help you reduce your
chances of contracting HIV by up to 92%
citing science with some of these people
that have been part of studies and
they've basically cured them what's
what's happening with that or how have
you been excited by some of that news
well the goal with anyone who's living
with HIV is to get them to an
undetectable level and what that and
when you are undetectable that means
that you're you have a 0% chance of
transmitting HIV to someone else so once
you get to that undetectable level your
actor body's most optimum health and
that's where we want people to get to
and so folks who want to come out and
get involved in AIDS walk it is very
celebratory well your mobile testing
unit be out there as well partners that
will provide Hep C testing an HIV
okay and so all the information right
there Saturday April 27th be there by
7:30 do we have to walk the two laps we
have to walk two laps right yes I know
Troy and I got in trouble one year
because we dropped out and wondered the
restaurateur
that's what nice in the morning but
speaking up you got something in your
bag I do one of the things that that we
are just starting and you are actually
our very first awardee is the executive
director Circle Award and what we're
gonna make my eyes walk what we count on
what we count on is you have done such
an incredible job in assisting us in
getting the word out because by just
talking about it this morning
we are helping to reduce stigma you know
anyone who has an exception a sexual
encounter is at risk and unless you are
very aware of your status and your
partner status you know it's that
important so the stigma there are very
few people in the world who have never
had sex at least one time so know your
status get tested
getting care if you're infected get on
prep if you're not and you are a
frequent participant so we wanted to
thank you for assisting us and getting
the word out so you are inaugural first