>> EVERYDAY HEALTHCARE WORKERS AND LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS ARE WORKING HARD TO RENEW EFFORTS
TO INCREASE HIV TESTING AS PART
OF A NATIONAL STRATEGY TO GET
RESULTS AGAINST
LIFE-THREATENING DISEASE.
>> TODAY HAPPENS TO BE NATIONAL
HIV TESTING DAY.
FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IS
ENCOURAGING EVERYONE TO GET
TESTED AND INFORMED.
>> JOINING US AS THE INTERIM
DIRECTOR OF THE FLORIDA
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IN ORANGE
COUNTY.
WELCOME, DOCTOR, FOR BEING WITH
US TODAY.
FIRST OF ALL, THIS IS A REAL
ISSUE HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA.
TELL US ABOUT THIS IN THE
PREVALENCE OF HIV.
>> WE ARE ONE OF THE HIGHEST
GROWING AREAS IN THE COUNTRY.
FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED CASES.
ABOUT 512 CASES IN 2017 WHICH
IS ABOUT 22 PERCENT INCREASE IN
THE LAST THREE YEARS.
>> AND WHY DO YOU THINK THAT
IS?
>> WE ARE SPECIAL PLACE WHERE
WE ARE LOCATED FOOD TRAVELS
HERE AND HOW MUCH ARE WE DOING.
WE HAVE FUN AND FLUX OF PEOPLE
THAT HAVE BEEN DISPLACED FROM
BIRTH.
AND IN THOSE CASES THEY CAN IS
NEW IN THEIR COPING TO LOOK FOR
THE GOOD CARE THAT WE HAVE
AROUND THE AREA.
AND ALSO I THINK THAT WE HAVE
DEFINED THOSE HIDDEN
POPULATIONS THAT DO NOT WANT TO
KNOW THAT THEY HAVE HIV WHICH
IS ABOUT 24 PERCENT OF THE
PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING CURRENTLY
WITH HIV.
>> THOSE OF THE PEOPLE YOU’RE
TRYING TO CATCH WHEN IT COMES
TO HIV AWARENESS AND GETTING
TESTED.
WHY DO YOU THINK IT IS SO
DIFFICULT TO GO GET TESTED AND
WHAT YOU FEEL LIKE PEOPLE DO
NOT WANT TO GET TESTED AND DO
NOT WANT TO KNOW.
>> PERCEPTION OF RISK.
ABOUT 20 PERCENT OF THOSE WHO
ARE WAS TALKING ABOUT ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR ABOUT 50 OR 60
PERCENT OF THE INFECTIONS.
SO IF WE WANT TO CUT THESE WE
NEED TO DO THAT.
AND BASICALLY HOW TO RETEST IT.
NOT JUST TESTING MASSIVELY
PROTESTING THE RIGHT PEOPLE.
AND HOW WE BRING TESTING IN THE
HOSPITAL SETTINGS.
>> THESE ARE STAGGERING
NUMBERS.
MORE THAN 150,000 PEOPLE IN
FLORIDA LIVING WITH HIV AND
THEN YOU HAVE 12.5 PERCENT OF
ALL THE CASES IN THE US MAKING
UP THAT POPULATION IN FLORIDA.
AND THEN 50 PERCENT OF THOSE
INDIVIDUALS ARE ROUGHLY OVER
19,000 DO NOT KNOW.
SO YOU ARE SAYING YOU ARE
TRYING TO GET TO THOSE BUT HOW
DO YOU CONVINCE SOMEBODY TO GET
A TEST WHO DOES NOT WANT TO GET
THE TEST BECAUSE THAT SEEMS TO
BE THE PROBLEM.
>> ALSO THE PROBLEM IS THEY
HAVE TO OFFER THE TEST IN THE
FREE MARKETS IN FLORIDA.
SO TECHNICALLY EVERY TIME THE
BLOOD IS COLLECTED YOU CAN TEST
FOR HIV.
IF A PERSON DECIDES NOT TO DO
IF THEY DECIDE NOT TO GET
TESTED.
THE DOCTOR PROVIDER HAVE THE
AUTHORITY TO TEST IF THE PERSON
DECIDE VERBALLY EXPRESSED.
>> HOW CAN YOU BREAK DOWN THAT
FEAR BECAUSE I THINK THERE’S A
LOT OF FEAR BEHIND IT AND
UNFORTUNATELY IF YOU DO NOT
KNOW YOU CANNOT GET TREATMENT
AND HOPEFULLY STOP THE SPREAD
BUT HOW CAN YOU BREAK DOWN THAT
FEAR TO GET THAT PERSON TO GET
TESTED AND GET TREATMENT.
>> LOCATION.
WE TO LOCATE THE EPIDEMIC.
WE HAVE THE MEANS BIOLOGICALLY.
WE HAVE THE MEDICATION TO TREAT
IT.
PEOPLE ARE LEADING A NORMAL
LIFE.
AND WITH ACCESS TO MEDICATION
EVEN FOR THOSE TAT ARE NOT
INSURED OR UNDERINSURED SO WE
HAVE ALL THE TOOLS.
WE JUST HAVE TO MOBILIZE THE
COMMUNITY AND WE HAVE TO KNOW
WHERE THESE PEOPLE ARE AND WE
HAVE TO FIND THEM AND TEST THEM
AND PROVIDE THEM WITH THE
SERVICES.
>> TESTING NEEDS TO BE
NORMALIZED.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WHEN
YOU’RE TO REQUEST IT AND YOUR
DOCTOR IS LIKE IS THERE ANY
REASON WHY.
IT’S BECAUSE YOU NEED TO KNOW.
>> IT IS YOUR BODY AND YOU WANT
TO KNOW.
>> MY PROVIDER FOR EXAMPLE, I
WAS INTERACTING WITH HIM AND
SAID WOULD YOU LIKE US TO GET
ENGAGED WITH YOU AND TESTING.
AND I SAID NO, I’VE 750
PATIENTS SO I HAVE NO CONCERNS.
WE DID INFORM THE PUBLIC BUT
INFORM PROVIDERS.
>> TODAY IT IS AWARENESS DAY.
IS THERE A PLACE WHERE FREE
TESTING IS GOING TO BE OFFERED.
HOW CAN PEOPLE IF THEY ARE
WATCHING AND THEY THINK THIS IS
A DAY FOR ME TO GO GET TESTED.
WHERE CAN I GO AND HOW CAN I
GET THAT DONE?
>> ALL DAY TESTING BUT WE TEST
ALL YEAR LONG.
IT IS NOT JUST TODAY.
TODAY IS WHERE AWARENESS.
BUT ALL YEAR LONG CONFIDENTIAL
MATTER WE WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH
SERVICES.
FLORIDA IS DOING GREAT THINGS.
PEOPLE ARE GETTING TESTING THE
SAME DAY TO GET TESTED.
IF THEY BECOME POSITIVE AND WE
WILL CONNECT YOU WITH THE
SERVICES THAT YOU NEED.
>> THIS TEST, THE RAPID TEST IS
>> AND THEN YOU WERE ON YOUR
WAY.
>> YOU BECOME WHAT IS CALLED
REACTIVE BECAUSE THE FACT THAT
THE TEST MAY BE REACTIVE TEST
WOULD MEAN YOU HAVE THE DISEASE
YOU HAVE TO GET ANOTHER TEST
BUT YOU PLACE THE PERSON IN
TREATMENT AND THEN YOU GO FOR
MANY OTHER THINGS THAT NEED TO
BE TAKING PLACE.
>> NOT AS SCARY AS IT USED TO
BE.
THERE ARE WAYS OF GETTING
TREATED.
>> WE CAN ELIMINATE THIS
EPIDEMIC.
>> IN OUR PLACES TO GET FREE
TESTING YEAR-ROUND NOT JUST ON
THIS DAY, FREE TESTING DAY BUT
THERE ARE OTHER WAYS.
>> WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT
WE CAN REACH OUT AND TEST.
MANY OF THE SHELTERS WE HAVE.
SO WE HAVE SEVERAL SITES AROUND
THE COUNTY.
AND AGAIN IF YOU’RE IN THE