In this photo taken June 27, 2012, Katherine Tapp, 26 of New York City uses an oral test for HIV, inside the HIV Testing Room at the Penn Branch of the District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles, in southeast Washington. An AIDS-free generation: It seems an audacious goal, considering how the HIV epidemic still is raging around the world. Yet more than 20,000 international HIV researchers and activists will gather in the nation's capital later this month with a sense of optimism not seen in many years _ hope that it finally may be possible to stem the spread of the AIDS virus. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
New optimism about stemming spread of AIDS virus
In this photo taken June 27, 2012, Katherine Tapp, 26 of New York City uses an oral test for HIV, inside the HIV Testing Room at the Penn Branch of the District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles, in southeast Washington. An AIDS-free generation: It seems an audacious goal, considering how the HIV epidemic still is raging around the world. Yet more than 20,000 international HIV researchers and activists will gather in the nation's capital later this month with a sense of optimism not seen in many years _ hope that it finally may be possible to stem the spread of the AIDS virus. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
By LAURAN NEERGAARD
AP Medical Writer /
July 9, 2012
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‘‘I felt that I should get out here and try to help somebody else, because somebody had to help us get into care,’’ said Turner, now 53 and a community health worker.
The city’s latest HIV count suggests progress, with a slight decrease in new diagnoses and a majority of patients being connected with medical care. Community workers such as Turner are called to try to help people stay on treatment when other problems intervene.
‘‘If they’re on drugs, I take them to the drug program. If they need help going on Medicaid, I go with them to Medicaid,’’ Turner said. ‘‘Any problem they have, I'm going to try to fix it and get them back into care.’’
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Associated Press Deputy Director of Polling Jennifer Agiesta and News Survey Specialist Dennis Junius contributed to this report.
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Online:
International AIDS conference: http://www.aids2012.org
Poll results: http://www.ap-gfkpoll.com
HTML interactive features world map of incidents of HIV by country, explanation of increase of HIV in recent years and a chronology of the epidemic: http://hosted.ap.org/interactives/2012/hiv-aids
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