​​The HIV/AIDS Crisis Is NOT Over!

HELLO! IS ANYONE LISTENING?The HIV/AIDS health crisis is still with us, especially in Georgia, And for Black people, the numbers are alarming, according to national statistics by the Center for Diseases Center (CDC). This is NOT the time to return to the days of “free love” of the 1960s with unprotected sex.Officials of AIDS Atlanta and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation met recently with members of the Atlanta news media for assistance in getting the word out about the rising number of HIV cases among Black people in Atlanta and Georgia.Joining Georgia on the list of the nation’s highest HIV infection rates are Florida, Nevada, Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi. And do you know what else these states have in common? They are all run by Republican governors who have refused to expand Medicaid.The expansion of Medicaid is critical in fighting the rising HIV rates, according to AIDS Atlanta Executive Director Nicole Roebuck-Warner.“Unfortunately, some states are carrying the heaviest burden of HIV,” she said, “several southern states did not expand Medicaid. All of those things are adding to this perfect storm. Leadership matters.”HIV rates had their biggest drop during the COVID-19 crisis in 2019-2020. The rates shot back up to pre-pandemic levels...