Road to AIDS 2012: A Series of Town Hall Meetings--Fort Lauderdale
While the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) is bringing new focus to the disease in the United States, the Southern U.S. does not always feel adequately represented, and participation in the fight against the epidemic is low in the region, according to attendees of a town hall meeting held on Feb. 16 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
"We have challenges in the South, and we need to find a way to get to Washington, D.C., more so that Florida and the rest of the South can have their voice heard," said Joey Wynn, director of public policy at community-service organization Broward House and a panelist at the event. "We need to look to federal partners and say, 'Things are a little different here.' "
Approximately 44 participants from Fort Lauderdale, Miami and West Palm Beach discussed how the International AIDS Conference poses a unique opportunity for Floridians to share with the world, yet lamented that they often have a difficult time getting people to take part in HIV/AIDS-awareness activities. Audience members, who ranged from PLWHA to health-care providers and employees of community-based organizations, shared ideas about why so little urgency about HIV/AIDS exists in the Sunshine State.
"We have the highest rate of new HIV infections in Broward and Dade counties, but there are always the same people at every single event," one audience member said. "Why is there not mobilization?" The audience member was referring to statistics showing that Miami-Dade County has the highest number of new AIDS cases per capita in the country, followed by Broward County--home of Fort Lauderdale--at No. 2.
One reason is likely stigma, said Wynn. Community activists are trying to figure out how to normalize HIV/AIDS like other diseases, such as cancer, lupus and diabetes, so that people admit that they have it and seek treatment, he said. Many who do get treatment remain quiet about it, Wynn added.
Another audience member pointed out that stigma also keeps people from attending events and will likely keep some away from the Road to AIDS 2012.
Lea D. Brown, the senior pastor of Metropolitan Community Church of the Palm Beaches, brought several congregants to the town hall meeting and described how the church perpetuates much of the shame and stigma. "We have so much potential and can be in the lead when it comes to bringing religious people together to talk about sex," she said.
Community-based organizations often don't get the word out effectively, several audience members said. However, Jason King of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation pointed out that "case managers in the community are overwhelmed" and often don't have the resources to spread the word.
The fact that Fort Lauderdale is overshadowed by Miami could also play a role, panelist Marsha Martin, director of the Urban Coalition for HIV/AIDS Prevention Services, pointed out. The more heavily populated Miami tends to get more attention and, perhaps, resources.
Complacency was suggested as yet another reason. "We're not attending five funerals a week anymore, so things don't seem so important," one audience member said. "I remember in the '80s and '90s, if the government cut funding, there would be protesting in the street."
Other panelists at the Fort Lauderdale town hall included Shelley D. Hayes, former chair of the American Bar Association's AIDS Coordinating Committee, and Francisco Ruiz, senior manager, racial and ethnic health disparities, at the National Alliance of State & Territorial AIDS Directors.
Despite the frustrations, town hall participants voiced their commitment to mobilizing their communities and getting their concerns heard. "This is an important time in the history of the epidemic," said Hayes. "It will take everyone in this room and everyone we know to change the conversation."
The entire Road to AIDS 2012 tour is a joint effort between the Washington, D.C.-based Community Education Group, the Urban Coalition for HIV/AIDS Prevention Services, pharmaceutical company Merck and AIDS 2012. The Road to AIDS 2012 will seek community input in cities across the country. That input will be shared at AIDS 2012 in Washington, D.C., when the International AIDS Conference is on American soil for the first time in more than 20 years.
Tamara E. Holmes is a Washington, D.C.-based journalist who writes frequently about emotional health and wellness.