What Do We Know?

When my work first involved HIV, I was employed at a reproductive-health clinic whose amazing clinicians would explain the science behind how concepts like birth control, STD medications and sexually communicable diseases worked--but only to those health educators who were curious enough to ask. I was curious, so I asked. And I noticed that as my scientific knowledge grew, I became more effective in helping my patients adhere to their medications, engage in safer sexual-health practices and successfully navigate our clinic.

For example, I stopped merely telling clients, "You have to take your pill at the same time every day for it to work" and expecting them to follow my advice. Instead I began explaining ideas like the medicine's half-life, why it's important to take the pill every day and how the drug interacts with the reproductive cycle. Armed with this type of knowledge, my clients were less likely to experience unplanned pregnancies, STDs and other such problems. The science and treatment information helped people take charge of their health. I witnessed the truth of Maya Angelou's famous mantra: "When you know better, you do better," she says.

As we enter the beginning of the end of the AIDS epidemic, such scientific knowledge becomes increasingly important.

From immunopathogenesis to pharmacokinetics, HIV can be complex and daunting to comprehend, even for people with decades of schooling. For people living with HIV/AIDS, the disease can be overwhelming. But research shows that patients who understand the science are more likely to adhere to their medications, receive higher-quality care and treatment and have better overall health outcomes than patients who are less informed.

For example, we know that our biomedical tool kit will probably play a critical role in ending the epidemic, but it won't work without behavioral and other types of interventions, as the challenges in helping communities reach viral suppression prove--from countering myths and misconceptions to accessing treatment innovations. What must we providers do to help facilitate viral suppression? What game changers do we need to employ? How can we rise to the challenges we face? And how do providers help patients learn this body of knowledge?

The Black AIDS Institute believes we must ensure that the HIV workforce understands the science of HIV treatment, care and prevention. This March, the Institute took a major step forward in finding out what science HIV/AIDS workers know by launching the first U.S. HIV Workforce Survey in partnership with the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors, or NASTAD, and the Latino Commission on AIDS. The survey is designed to assess what U.S. HIV/AIDS workers know, think and believe about HIV services, programs and research. Once we know what we don't know, the Institute and its partners can be more effective in training HIV professionals to be optimally effective. The results will also help inform the policies, programming and services that our organizations will develop to end the AIDS epidemic in communities across America.

I hope you'll help us assess the HIV workforce's knowledge by taking the survey (click here).

The road to ending AIDS won't be easy, but I truly believe that together, we'll see the end.

Yours in the struggle,

Raniyah M. Copeland

Director, Training and Capacity Building