Piecing the Puzzle Together

Photo by: Terry Gaskins

Gina Brown

Peer navigator, advocate, long-term HIV survivor
New Orleans, Louisiana

We will only make things better once we start addressing the specific issues that keep people out of care. HIV is not only a medical condition, but for a lot of people, it is more of a social problem -- housing that's safe and affordable, transportation, stigma, childcare, and food are more important than taking care of their HIV disease.

We won't see a real decline in the number of new infections until we can educate the communities that are hardest hit: blacks and Latinos. The myths and rumors have to be addressed before real HIV education can begin. As someone who sees both sides, I can honestly say there is not enough education that is both culturally and gender specific.