AIDS day 2009 in Fresno was remembered with reverence, hope and a strong call for the education of practicing safe sex.
Nelson Vergel, the keynote speaker for the event been HIV positive for 27 years. He encouraged the crowd, “Most of us have a life expectancy of over 50 years after discovering a positive test. Take your meds and take charge of your life. There are 33 million of us but we have lost 33 million of us already. 40,000 of us get infected every year and 50% of those are under 25 years old.”
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Buck Ellis, a drug rep from Atripla was displaying his product in the lobby. “When we consider an AIDS patient was on a daily regimen of 16 to 20 pills a day in the 90’s then there is no reason to miss medication.”
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“The major deterrence is lack of education. I go out to bars and there are no posters informing people about how to practice safe sex,” Tony Lane, President of Yosemite Knights. Mr. Central California Leather for 2008. Lane is a peer advocate for community Care Special Services. “We can prevent the spread of HIV,” he said.
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The county of Fresno was represented by Norma Sanchez who was giving out condoms and information about preventing the spread of HIV. “AIDS hasn’t changed,” she said. “People are still dying. We need to make people aware especially in the Hispanic and African American community. They don’t get tested. They can get tested for free at the health department. We can test them within an hour.”
David Bouttavong from Planned Parenthood was informing the transgender community of their affordable hormone therapy program. “We don’t want the transgender community getting their hormone medication off friends or the black market.” They also provide Rapid HIV testing.
Throughout the evening the spirit was consistent and there was hope. As Vergel said, “Don’t be afraid. There is hope. There is a lot of hope. When I was first diagnosed there wasn’t even a drug to take, Now I have 28 drugs to choose from.”
(Photos courtesy Nigel Medhurst. Photos, in order of appearance: Buck Ellis/Atripla, David Bouttavong, Fresno Street Mallers Band, Jamina Hackett/WestCare, Nelson Vergel, Nelson Vergel, Norma Sanchez, Fresno Flamenco & Spanish Arts Society, On Point Dance, AIDS Quilt, Reading Of Names, James Hensley, Volunteer Award, Tony Lane)
