Let's Talk HIV: AIDS Complacency

When protease inhibitors came on the scene in the mid 1990s and were widely prescribed to people with AIDS, dramatic changes occurred; many compromised immune systems were restored to healthier functions and opportunistic illnesses waned.

As the years passed and a tremendous number of PWAs did not succumb to AIDS-related infections and die, there were far fewer funerals because our lives had been extended. All good news, right?

Sure, not every person who took protease inhibitors benefited from them and even many of those who did still passed away, having enjoyed extra years of living. However, the AIDS death rates in America experienced a very welcomed drop thanks to this class of drugs and other treatment and prophylaxis developments.

With health, much rejuvenated, uncounted numbers of PWAs got off the quick-death path and continued or returned to working or entered college for further education, experienced the joys and tribulations of being alive with a manageable illness.

One would think public health officials and AIDS service organizations would embrace the tremendous benefits of the treatment advances, and how PWAs largely were able to continue their lives without the fear of imminent and painful or disfiguring death with every sneeze or cough.

Out of this good situation grew the myth of AIDS complacency, a vaguely defined problem that struck the gay male and other at-risk communities. Generally speaking, AIDS complacency means no more big ACT UP street demonstrations at government agencies rabble-rousing for expanded funding (and salaries) at service organizations, and an enormous diminishment of fear among other good changes.

Tossing around the term AIDS complacency applies an unnecessary layer of stigma to folks who don't deserve or need any additional stigma. Too often, the term is mentioned in the media without a clear definition.

Most recently, an interview with Josh Rosenzweig at the Advocate's site about his new documentary "30 Years From Here" was a perfect example of this. Asked what he most wanted to accomplish with the documentary, Rosenzweig told the magazine, "I want this film to jostle people out of complacency." No further details were provided.

As 2000 dawned, I attended many of San Francisco's HIV Prevention Planning Council meetings and heard too many nonprofit and public health social workers complain that because PWAs weren't dying as they once did, and younger gays who had not lived through the truly horrific plague years were not receiving the best prevention message possible -- dead gay men.

AIDS executives could not accept the paradigm shift from dying to living longer; and with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, they set out to devise ever-more provocative social marketing campaigns to rouse the gays from their alleged complacency.

All we were really doing was normalizing HIV and its threatening nature, learning the benefits and setbacks of protease inhibitors and other drugs, getting on with our lives. We no longer were showing up in droves for workshops and advocacy training at nonprofits that all too often were still pushing hysteria as the best building block for HIV prevention strategies.

The 'sky-is-falling all-the-time' approach, no matter what medical and political advances are made, was tuned out by at-risk communities and people living with HIV and it's a sad commentary on AIDS agencies that can't acknowledge evolving engagement strategies many have adopted.

For example, when PWAs take care of themselves -- adhere to treatment regimens, stay physically active, eat right, receive regular blood tests and follow-up visits with healthcare professionals, talk with our neighbors about lives -- we're engaging ourselves in our wellness.

Every time an HIV-positive person discloses this info to potential sex partners on cruising web sites or in a social situation, education takes place. All the instances when men use either the penile condom or anal pouch to prevention transmitting or contracting HIV or other sexual transmitted diseases are acts against complacency.

If you are negative and regularly are tested for HIV and always broach the subject of sero-status and personal safer sex rules, or otherwise make smart lifestyle choices over all that keep you well, that's self-empowerment.

While I'm not the type of person to participate in an AIDS walk or any other form of fundraising for service organizations, I do recognize that thousands of people around the nation put on their most comfortable walking shoes or write checks to or volunteer at AIDS organizations. Those are other forms of engagement.

There is much concern today about PWAs and reducing new HIV infections even further than they have already fallen. We must remember that 30 years is a long time to ask any community to remain in crisis mode regarding a health matter.

And let us not misinterpret decreased numbers of deaths and funerals, and far fewer angry PWAs screaming outside drug companies and government offices as AIDS complacency.