Frequently Asked Questions about HIV/AIDS
 

Is HIV really still an issue in our community?

YES. An estimated 10,000 persons in Tarrant County are already infected with the HIV virus, and one in three of those is not yet aware.
 

Don’t modern medications basically eliminate the risk of HIV?

NO. In the early years of AIDS, the disease and its devastating effects were highly visible: a person contracting the disease could expect to die within a short time. With the development of more effective medications, the nature of the epidemic has changed, but its prevalence has not. Because many people can now live for a long time with the disease, most people in the community believe the epidemic is over or is not of great concern any more. This is false.
 

Isn’t HIV essentially a gay male disease?

NO. The HIV/AIDS epidemic has expanded into every segment of the population. Today, half of new infections each year are among 15- to 24-year-olds. Women are as likely to contract the disease as men, and 75% of infections in women are the result of heterosexual contact. The African-American community has been particularly hard hit: 65% of all new HIV infections in the US occur in people of color.

As people live longer with HIV, there are many more opportunities to pass it on to others. Overall infection rates are no lower than they were in the early days of the disease, and now the epidemic has spread into all segments of the population.
 

Don’t people with HIV live basically normal lives with modern medications?

NO. HIV/AIDS can affect every aspect of an individual’s life, from health and self-image to relationships and careers. In addition to the high cost of health maintenance, individuals can easily find themselves without a job or a place to live, and also without family and friends to assist them. AIDS service organizations seek to address all these problems, but they cannot hope to reach more than a fraction of those in need, without the active and compassionate support of the community.
 

More Life
929 Hemphill Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76104
817.717.6991
info@morelifetexas.com

Privacy Policy 

More Life Webmaster