By Cinara Marquis
From the initial wave of fear and spread of misinformation to the groundbreaking advances in medical treatment, the journey through the HIV/AIDS epidemic is one of both great struggle and incredible resilience. Personal stories of loss, survival and education illuminated SUNY Plattsburgh this World AIDS Day.
World AIDS Day is an international day held every year Dec. 1 to remember and spread awareness about the AIDS pandemic and HIV. Sometimes creative avenues are employed, such as the AIDS Memorial Quilt, which holds the names of nearly 110,000 victims of the virus. SUNY Plattsburg opted for an intergenerational queer panel in observence of World AIDS day on Dec. 2.
Three queer men sat at the front of the Alumni Conference room to speak about the impact the HIV/AIDS epidemic had on their life, identity and love. David Landers, a retired Saint Louis Catholic University faculty member, a man who only wanted to be called John who has been HIV-positive for over 30 years, and Marco Ayala, finance and operations administrator of SUNY Plattsburgh’s Student Health and Counseling Center, all spoke on the epidemic.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
AIDS is the late stage of HIV infection that occurs when the body’s immune system is extremely damaged because of the virus, more than 700,000 people in the U.S. have died from the disease.
“When AIDS first started, how many of you know what it was originally called?” Landers asked. “GRID, Gay-Related Infectious Disease. And they blamed us, and they didn’t do anything because we didn’t count. If it had been 1,200 white tennis players who had died, you believe they would have investigated everything, but they didn’t.”
The U.S., despite its advancements, still struggles with discussing sex openly, especially queer sex. So, when HIV/AIDS, also dubbed ‘gay plague’ and ‘gay syndrome’ at the start of the epidemic, exploded among the gay community, the disease was thought to affect just gay men. Only after HIV began affecting men who don’t have sex with men and women was the epidemic realized by the U.S. government.
According to the Canadian Foundation for AIDS, research scientists believe that HIV was first transmitted in the 1930s in Africa. Over decades, the disease would spread worldwide, identified as extreme cases of pneumonia and cancers. The disease was finally recognized as HIV/AIDS in the early 1980s.
The early years of the AIDS epidemic were marked by fear and misinformation. In the early 1980s, many witnessed the rapid decline of loved ones, friends and strangers.
John said he was terrified, especially after his diagnosis of HIV — because he was watching his friends all suffer and then pass away from the disease. John lost two partners to the disease.
Landers, who is 81 years old, said, “We’ve lost an entire generation. And if the young people today don’t understand that that happened then, my fear is they will continue thinking it’s not going to happen to me.”
EDUCATION
Educational efforts are crucial in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Colleges have deployed creative strategies to promote safe sex on their campuses, such as supplying condoms in vending machines, bathrooms or residence halls. John explained that historical context is important in educating youth.
“(HIV history is) hard to look at, but it’s something that you have to look at because it can repeat itself,” John said. “But, the thing is, once you’re aware, you are responsible. And where silence is equal death, silence now means you’re complicit.”
Speakers at the panel mentioned historical figures, including actor Rock Hudson and former basketball player Magic Johnson, who played pivotal roles in raising awareness about HIV/AIDS.
Despite these efforts, stigma and misinformation persist, even today. The stigma surrounding HIV remains a significant barrier to education, prevention and treatment.
SO WHAT ARE THE FACTS?
HIV is transmitted through the exchange of certain bodily fluids, including blood, semen and pre-seminal fluid, vaginal fluids, rectal fluids and breast milk. The virus is not present in saliva or sweat enough to be transmitted. HIV is also not transmitted through feces, urine or insects such as mosquitoes and ticks.
Today, numerous HIV testing resources are available, including free at-home test kits like the FDA-approved OraQuick.
“Obviously, there’s the downside is that you don’t have the support system that you would have when you go and get it tested, and there’s someone else in the room,” Ayala said. “However, I think that also, it’s a sign of the times, in the sense that, fortunately, a positive diagnosis is no longer a death sentence like it used to be in the 80s.”
The concept of “Undetectable = Untransmittable” (U=U) is significant today as well. Through antiretroviral therapy, a combination of HIV medicines individuals who are HIV-positive can gain an undetectable viral load and cannot transmit the virus to others. Understanding U=U can significantly reduce stigma and encourage more people to seek treatment.
Individuals with undetectable viral loads of HIV can have unprotected sex as well as carry and give birth to children without transmitting the virus.
Advances in HIV treatment have transformed the virus from a fatal disease to a manageable chronic condition. Not all have access to these treatments, however.
LOOKING FORWARD
Despite progress, significant challenges remain. The cost of HIV medication is a barrier for many.
“My HIV medication retails at $3,500 a month, but I get it at no cost because of my healthcare coverage,” John said.
He said one of his biggest fears is to lose health coverage — with the election of Donald Trump as president, he believes that’s likely coming.
The fight against HIV/AIDS intersects with broader social justice issues. The persistence of stigma, especially within marginalized communities, underscores the need for comprehensive education and policy changes, said Landers.
The U.S. government requires HIV testing for people applying for a green card or citizenship. This requirement can impact an applicant’s status, as the federal government can deny a green card based on an HIV-positive result.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1.2 million people are living with HIV in the U.S. and there are an estimated 31,800 new infections as of 2022.
“We’ve come a long way since the early days of the epidemic. The community has shown incredible strength and solidarity,” John said. “As long as we continue to support each other and push for progress, there’s every reason to be hopeful for the future.”
For more information on HIV testing and resources, visit the CDC’s website at cdc.gov/hiv/index.html.
