TYLER, Texas (KLTV) – Tyler Area Gays+ and Special Health Resources held an event Monday in Tyler to bring attention to HIV/AIDS, as well as to remember those who have lost their lives due to complications from the virus.
“We’re here celebrating World AIDS Day,” said Billy Diaz, president of Tyler Area Gays+. “World AIDS Day is a yearly celebration that was started in 1988, and December 1 is the day that we always observe it on. It’s basically just a reminder of everybody that we’ve lost, everybody that’s still here, and everybody that’s living with HIV or AIDS.”
The event featured free STD testing, as well as speakers who discussed their experience with the disease.
According to the World Health Organization, over 40 million people were living with HIV worldwide at the end of last year.
Diaz said more education about HIV, such as the medications that can be taken to prevent the disease, can help eliminate the stigma surrounding the disease.
“It’s not a death sentence anymore,” Diaz said. “There’s plenty of treatment for both if you are living with HIV, or even if you are not, there’s preventatives that you can take.”
“We’ve advanced so far, if a person now gets pregnant when they’re with HIV, as long as they take their medication, their baby’s not at risk for catching HIV,” said John Eubanks, recovery support peer specialist for Special Health Resources.
Diaz added that Special Health Resources, East Texas Cares Resource Center, and PATH offer help for HIV/AIDS. In addition, Tyler Area Gays+ has an HIV peer support group that meets the fourth Tuesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. at the Glass House Resource Center.
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