Fighting to Eradicate HIV/AIDS

“World AIDS Day is an opportunity to remember those that we have lost, honor those currently thriving, and unite to continue the fight against the HIV epidemic. We are honored to come together as one community to remember, reflect and educate about the current state of HIV.”

The stigma that surrounds HIV has negatively affected the health and well-being of people living with HIV by discouraging some from learning their HIV status, accessing treatment or staying in care.

“When it comes to HIV, it has been stigmatized since the height of the epidemic. It’s mostly been targeted at the LGBTQI+ community, wrongfully so, and it’s been a weapon that people use to further discriminate against that community,” said health education coordinator Lianna Maldonado. “For us, our goal is to educate and raise awareness of HIV, especially how far treatment has come.”

Even 20 years ago, “an HIV diagnosis was considered a death sentence,” Maldonado said. But today, medications and a healthy lifestyle can help patients reach an undetectable viral load, stay virally suppressed and improve their immune system.

“With treatment now, people living with HIV can get their viral load to be undetectable and therefore not transmittable,” she said. “That’s a huge development, considering where we’ve been.”

This year, Truman Health Services has partnered with the New Mexico Department of Health, Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico, Southwest Care Center, First Nations Community HealthSource and the New Mexico Gay Men’s Chorus to rally community members for a candlelight vigil on Dec. 1.

The evening will start with local organizations and businesses “painting the town red” by placing red luminarias at their locations to bring awareness to the Albuquerque community of the still prevalent HIV epidemic.

The in-person event starts at 6:30 p.m. at Expo NM with indoor visual displays, a timeline history of HIV, a community ofrenda and the creation of a quilt block for the National AIDS Memorial Quilt. A presentation begins at 7 p.m. with community speakers and entertainment, followed by a candle lighting and a performance by the New Mexico Gay Men’s Chorus.

“Tremendous strides have been made in recent years and we have the privilege of seeing so many people thriving with HIV,” Iandiorio said. “We commend those who are living with HIV and those who have dedicated their lives to furthering the development of treatments.”

For more information on the event and Truman Health Services, visit https://linktr.ee/UNMTruman.