"There was a charge at the conference to do more, research more and advocatemore because what we are looking at is quite devastating."
In the first of thisthree-part series, we speak to Charles Stephens of AIDSUnited, a Mapping Pathwayspartner organisation, and get his perspectives on the recently-concluded AIDS2012 conference in Washington D.C. and the FDA ruling on Truvada for PrEP. MP: Please tell us abit about what you do.
CS: My name is Charles Stephens and I’m the SouthernRegional Organiser for AIDS United. In that role, I work with our partners andgrantees in the southern region of the U.S. to help build their capacity to engagein and implement advocacy work. I am very passionate about HIV preventionresearch and my goal is to bridge the gap that sometimes exists betweencommunities and academia, researchers and practitioners.
I provide workshops on advocacy and help to build andsustain coalitions that might develop around an issue or campaign. I also helpcreate tools such as factsheets, which are used by some of our grantees andpartners in their advocacy efforts.
My role with AIDS United has given me the opportunity towork with the MappingPathways project by helping to disseminate findings and using the projectas a community education tool to raise awareness about biomedical HIVprevention in general and ARV-basedHIV prevention in particular. Being on the ground with various communitiesgives me the opportunity to draw upon the perspectives of a wide range ofstakeholders to help make the case for the significance and value of ARV-basedprevention, which is one of the aims of the Mapping Pathways project.
MP: How did the AIDS2012 conference go? What weresome of the conversations taking place there?
CS: AIDS 2012 wasextremely exciting! It was the first time in a long time that a conference washeld in the U.S. Several conversations centered on the possibility of endingAIDS as we know it is and we feel this possibility is within our grasp.
There have been a number of scientific breakthroughs,particularly in the context of biomedical HIV prevention, that have given us alot of hope. TLC+,PrEP and other technologies and strategies were prominently discussed anddebated.
There was also a lot of discussion about the catastrophicHIV rates among young black gay men and possible strategies to combat thatproblem. There was a charge at the conference to do more, research more and advocatemore because what we are looking at is quite devastating. There was a contrast,though, between the optimism of envisioning an AIDS-free generation and at thesame time looking at the dismal HIV rates among young black gay men. Overallthough, I get the sense that many of us left empowered and energised.
MP: What is youropinion on the recent FDA ruling on Truvada for PrEP?
CS: The FDAapproval of Truvada for PrEP was another exciting development that lent anair of positivity to the conference. The FDA approval gives us moreopportunities to engage in research and demonstration around PrEP and answerkey questions.
We have to understand better how PrEP will work in real-worldsettings. There are a number of questions that a lot of communities andresearchers have around PrEP and I think that the FDA approval will allow us tolook for the answers to those questions
From an advocacy perspective we are at a unique time. However,we still have to work out accessibility issues and think about how people andcommunities, particularly vulnerable communities, can afford the drug. Advocatesare also having conversations about the Affordable Care Act andother health-care reform.
MP: Is there anythingelse coming up in the near future that excites you?
CS: I’m lookingforward to The NationalGay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day that is coming up on September 27. TheU.S. celebrates a number of National HIV/AIDS Awareness days through the year. Theseprovide opportunities to raise awareness and also help de-stigmatise HIV byacknowledging the impact HIV has on certain communities and commemorating unsungheroes in the movement.
The impact of HIV and AIDS on my community motivates me togo out everyday and do all that I can to change the direction things are goingin. I’m also thrilled at having the opportunity to work with a number of verytalented, skilled and committed individuals. Watching their work inspires meand I think their stories need to be told.
Stay tuned to the blog as we bring you part two and three of our conversation with Charles, where he speaks about some of the social drivers of HIV and the disproportionate impact of HIV on some communities.
[Content that is linked from other sources is for informational purposes and should not construe a Mapping Pathways position. Please look for us on Facebook here www.facebook.com/MappingPathways and you can follow us on Twitter @mappingpathways as well.]
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