HOW YOU CAN HELP IN 3 EASY STEPS

 

1. EDUCATE YOURSELF

Stigma is the greatest public health crisis in today’s world. As a person living with HIV, I have experienced and seen firsthand the devastation that stigma can cause. It leads to people being shunned and isolated, and discriminated against in health care, at work and even at school. And it inhibits them from accessing life-saving services and medications. Stigma strips people of dignity and exacerbates the already-difficult circumstances of the poorest and most vulnerable. It can itself have major impacts on health, such as depression and even suicide. My advice is to educate yourself. 
Educational anti-stigma interventions present factual information about the stigmatized condition with the goal of correcting misinformation or contradicting negative attitudes and beliefs. They counter inaccurate stereotypes or myths by replacing them with factual information.

             

2. DONATIONS 

Now more than ever, HIV charities need your support. These are the vital non-profit organizations that work tirelessly to advance HIV research, provide care and housing to those in need, and offer outreach and education to prevent the further spread of infection. This is no small feat given the scale of the epidemic, which claims around 16,000 lives and accounts for more than 36,000 new infections in the United States each year.

 

Founded: 1990 Based: Brppklyn, NY
Budget: $28,613,805 (2019)
Percentage of Budget Spent on Programs: 74.5%

Housing Works understands that poverty and infection go hand-in-hand and has decided to take on the twin epidemic of homelessness and HIV. No organization has made greater advances into alleviating these vulnerabilities than this long-standing, New York-based charity. In addition to providing supportive residences, legal aid, and comprehensive medical/dental care, Housing Work’s HIV adherence program has helped over 80% of its clients maintain undetectable viral loads, more than 20% greater than the national average. 

 

3. ADVOCACY

For most people living with HIV, being a full-time AIDS advocate is not realistic. But that doesn’t mean YOU can’t do something to fight the epidemic. Below are 10 ways you can do your part, along with advice and encouragement from several longtime HIV/AIDS advocates.

https://www.poz.com/article/can-hiv-advocate