Faces of AIDS: HIV cases on the rise in Southwest Virginia

Liberace, Rock Hudson, and Ryan White are three names associated with AIDS.
Since the 1980's, 600,000 people have died of AIDS, but you don't hear much about it these days.

The scary reality is that there is no cure and the number of new HIV cases is rising in Southwest Virginia.

"You don't see the faces of people who are gone and look very ill on television anymore. You don't hear a lot about it," said Elaine Martin, the HIV Prevention Director with the Virginia Department of Health.

Because of that there's a complacency and a belief HIV disease isn't a threat and isn't serious.

Frank House of Roanoke has lived for many years with AIDS. He was diagnosed in 1988. While he has survived the disease for decades, he will quickly tell you living with AIDS is tough.

"I've been through a lot. I've been hospitalized a couple of times," House said. "I can tell you first hand it hasn't been easy."

While House enjoys life with his longtime partner, who has tested negative for HIV, his daily routine also includes eight medicines twice a day and the side effects that come with it, including skin rashes, diarrhea, nausea, depression, and insomnia.

Appomattox resident Richard Cliborne suffers similar side effects from his medications for AIDS.  "It's a job within itself just to overome the effects of the medicine," Cliborne said.

He contracted HIV disease from sharing a needle and was diagnosed in 2007.
"It's very hard to fight. It's very hard to overcome," he said.

Despite these realities many people aren't taking precautions and in Southwest Virgina the number of new  cases is going up. "We are seeing a faster increase in this area than some other regions of the state," said Martin.

Roanoke City/County has the highest number of cases in this region with 591, followed by Lynchburg with 208, Danville with 158, Montgomery County with 79 and Martinsville with 58 cases.

That number per capita for the city of Martinsville is particularly high, according to Martin.  "We do know that HIV is related to poverty so there's a bigger impact from economic down turn in this area," Martin said.

So who is the typical NEW face of AIDS ?

"A typical new diagnosis of HIV is a young gay man either black or white and that is across the state," said Martin. "And we're seeing the greatest increase among young gay black men."

Of the 60 new cases in this region in 2010,  39 are men, and 21 are women.
Most are in their 20's.  Most are black.  One reason?  Discrimination within the black community that prompts many black men to lead secret lives, or life on the "down low."

"There are men who don't identify as gays. They may be married. They may be bisexual and they have sex with men," Martin said.

Because of the increasing number of cases more money is coming to this part of the state to help stop the spread of HIV disease. Through a new campaign called "HIV Stops with Me" that features real people including Cliborne, and through condom distrubution in high risk communities.

"A lot of it is spreading because people are not honest that they have the disease and they're not standing up to stop the spread of it," Cliborne said.

The message: be honest with your partners and the bottom line- Get tested.

"For gay men getting tested once a year if they're sexually active is not enough," Martin said. "We really encourage sexually active gay men to get tested every three to six months."

Testing can be as easy as a swab of the gum line and results are known within 20 minutes. The health department and local drop-in centers offer confidential testing. They also offer support and help for people who receive a positive result.

HIV is most easily transmitted when a person is first infected, according to health experts and once a person goes on medication that virus can be supressed making them less likely to spread the disease and healthier overall.

Where you can get a test

HIV Testing Information

HIV Stops with Me Campaign