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July 16, 2021 - COVID-19 & HIV by Ashley Innes

On Living Through Dual Pandemics


We’re coming off a historic year in 2020. A year that devastated us and empowered us. A year that tested us and made us stronger. A year that put systemic racism and health disparities front and center for the world to see. It reminded us that there is still much work to be done in the fight for equality and equity yet inspired us to act toward progress.

We are still in the middle of a pandemic that has claimed the lives of over 600,000 Americans, but amid the struggle we are beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel. As the COVID vaccine allows us to feel hope, I reflect on what this feeling must be like for long-term survivors of HIV. Many remember when a new, unknown virus emerged that was claiming the lives of their loved ones. A virus that they still live with today.


As we work to manage the current pandemic, many who have been living with HIV for decades once again find themselves losing loved ones. Reliving the past, grateful for what science has brought so quickly, and cautious to not let history repeat itself.


I recently had a conversation with Phill Wilson, founder and former CEO of the Black AIDS Institute. As many know, Phill is a gay Black man who has been living with HIV since 1981. He has been a champion and leader in this work for decades and understands better than anyone the concerns facing people living with HIV and the parallels to COVID-19, especially in Black communities.


“This experience presents both an emotional as well as a physical health risk,” Wilson says. “We’re living dual experiences because we’re not yet finished with the HIV pandemic, and we’re now living with COVID. There is kind of a painful déjà vu going on as COVID-19 is manifesting itself in our communities in the way HIV continues to manifest itself in our communities. Chief among them are the disparities. Black communities were slow to respond to the HIV/AIDS pandemic while we were disproportionately impacted, and policy makers were not sufficiently concerned about our needs. That is being replayed with COVID-19 as well.”


It should be apparent at this point that ending HIV and COVID-19 is about more than just access to medicine and vaccines. It’s about dismantling the systems of oppression that allow these viruses to thrive and recognizing that Black and other marginalized communities have a long history of distrust of the medical system. Many remain traumatized by the Tuskegee experiment, Henrietta Lacks, the experimental procedures performed on enslaved women, and the list goes on.


“Black people have very legitimate reasons to have medical mistrust because the medical community has not always been responsive to our needs,” Wilson says. “The most dominant way we have been mistreated by the medical community is by them withholding treatment from us.” Tuskegee is an example of that, as the Black men involved received no treatment for syphilis, and Wilson believes that is exactly why we should be fighting for information and access to the vaccine now.


I wholeheartedly agree with him and at the same time understand that as much as I urge Black communities to get into HIV care, utilize PrEP, and take the COVID vaccine, I know it’s not that simple. Medical racism is real, and the challenge is on America to overcome it. We can urge people to take this vaccine without shaming them or judging them for being skeptical. It’s not Black people’s fault that they don’t trust the medical system. America has been medically unethical since the founding of this country. That legacy never goes away.


Therefore, my job and that of everyone who calls themselves an advocate or is part of the medical system in any way is to improve trust by providing equitable care and accurate information that allows people to make informed decisions about their health. We need all of us collectively working together. So many people have already lost their lives. 


Wilson cautions us to not repeat past mistakes, saying, “These are lessons that we’ve learned and, frankly, the consequences of screwing up. I’m hoping we can take the lessons of HIV/AIDS, apply them, and come up with more equitable solutions as we fight the pandemic. And one of them is making sure that medicine, vaccines, and prevention tactics and strategies are open and accessible to Black, brown, and other marginalized people.”


Simply put, we honor the past by fighting for the now, fighting for the future. Let’s ensure we all survive. ▼


Ashley Innes is a writer and HIV advocate. Follow her on Twitter @Ash_Innes. This column is a project of TheBody, Plus, Positively Aware, POZ and Q Syndicate, the LGBTQ+ wire service. Visit their websites – http://thebody.com, http://hivplusmag.com, http://positivelyaware.com and http://poz.com—for the latest updates on HIV/AIDS.
 

‹ July 16, 2021 - Health & Wellness Classes up July 16, 2021 - Out & About by Eric C. Peterson ›

Past Issues

Issues Index

  • December 17, 2021 - Issue Index
  • November 19, 2021 - Issue Index
  • October 22, 2021 - Issue Index
  • September 24, 2021 - Issue Index
  • August 20, 2021 - Issue Index
  • July 16, 2021 - Issue Index
    • July 16, 2021 - Cover to Cover with Issuu
    • July 16, 2021 - The Way I See It by Beth Shockley
    • July 16, 2021 - In Brief
    • July 16, 2021 - Out in Delaware by David Mariner
    • July 16, 2021 - Intentionally Inclusive by Wesley Combs
    • July 16, 2021 - CAMPNews
    • July 16, 2021 - SUN FESTIVAL 2021
    • July 16, 2021 - It's My Life by Michael Thomas Ford
    • July 16, 2021 - Community News
    • July 16, 2021 - Volunteer Spotlight by Karen Laitman
    • July 16, 2021 - Summer Treats by Fay Jacobs
    • July 16, 2021 - Words Matter by Clarence Fluker
    • July 16, 2021 - Membership Matters by Marj Shannon
    • July 16, 2021 - Who's That?.... That's CAMP! by Anita Broccolino
    • July 16, 2021 - Health and Wellness by Marj Shannon
    • July 16, 2021 - Health & Wellness Classes
    • July 16, 2021 - COVID-19 & HIV by Ashley Innes
    • July 16, 2021 - Out & About by Eric C. Peterson
    • July 16, 2021 - LGBTQ+ YA Column by Ella Walker
    • July 16, 2021 - Candidate Forum
    • July 16, 2021 - Dining Out by Fay Jacobs
    • July 16, 2021 - Out & Proud by Stefani Deoul
    • July 16, 2021 - CAMP Houses by Rich Barnett
    • July 16, 2021 - Celebrity Interview by Fay Jacobs
    • July 16, 2021 - Music from the Heart by Matty Brown
    • July 16, 2021 - Cover Story: Historic Poodle Beach by Fay Jacobs
    • July 16, 2021 - Straight Talk by David Garrett
    • July 16, 2021 - CAMPShots
    • July 16, 2021 - Summer Treats by Michael Gilles
    • July 16, 2021 - Booked Solid by Terri Schlichenmeyer
    • July 16, 2021 - Historical Headliners by Ann Aptaker
    • July 16, 2021 - Spotlight on the Arts by Doug Yetter
    • July 16, 2021 - Summer Treats by Ed Castelli
    • July 16, 2021 - The Real Dirt by Eric W. Wahl
    • July 16, 2021 - Theatre Is Back by Michael Gilles
    • July 16, 2021 - View Point by Richard J. Rosendall
    • July 16, 2021 - Visiting View by D'Anne Witkowski
    • July 16, 2021 - We Remember
  • June 18, 2021 - Issue Index
  • May 14, 2021 - Issue Index
  • April 16, 2021 - Issue Index
  • March 19, 2021 - Issue Index
  • February 19th, 2021 - Issue Index

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