Reply #88: Thank you for the information.

[JackBeck]

Not only do we do HIV health education workshops, we do presentations on HCV, as well since there is a large co-infection rate. We actually learn about Hepatitis before we even touch upon HIV.

Our country has a low literacy rate to begin with. Can you only imagine what the rate is when addressing health literacy?

Unfortunately, we still face resistance from churches when trying to address HIV/AIDS. 94% of our clients are people of color. One of the things we've found as far as guys on the "down low", or "MSM" (Men who have Sex with Men) is they aren't using condoms when engaging in risky behavior. It's not so much out of laziness, rather, it's because the act of putting on a condom sexualizes the act for them. If there are no condoms involved, it's not seen as being a sex act.

As far when you said "saying that there can be an extended period of time between HIV and a diagnosis of AIDS is not entirely accurate", please see post #4.

We almost never have interactions with our clients doctors. Nor would we flat out tell a client that they are on the wrong meds. What we do is give them the information, maybe even go as far as writing a few questions down for them so they can bring them to their doctor.

I get asked questions all the time about diabetes, but unfortunately, since we are a non-profit VERY low on funding after being cut from Ryan White, we can only be stretched to thin before we break. As you said, case workers are a valuable resource for our clients, which is why we conduct a four-day training for them twice a year.

We also update our materials as much as humanly possible. You should see our training manual! We're constantly sharing with each other, as well, any new information we come across. The first attachment inhibitor is very exciting and it will be interesting to see how well it does.

Again, thank you for all the information and the compliments. I hope I addressed any concerns you may have had.