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Christy Chu
cmc25374@uga.edu | (770)633-0003 Why IMPACT? When I participated in my first IMPACT trip last spring, I realized that I had found the perfect kind of organization, one that focuses on not only the service, and the importance it should have in our daily lives, but also the root reasons that service is needed. Rather than leave understandings at a surface level, IMPACT jumped right into the deeper causes and effects, choosing to start conversations about how to find permanent solutions, instead of the temporary fixes our service was bringing. As a group, we had several conversations about each place we volunteered at, and we talked about both the positives and the negatives that we saw in each one, recognizing them for the good they were doing in their community, but also noting the ways in which they could improve. These conversations encouraged me to pursue greater involvement with IMPACT, an organization that had already taught me so much, but still has so much more to offer. Why HIV/AIDS Awareness & Advocacy? The social issue of HIV/AIDS is not a topic with which I have had a lot of personal experience with. I know what it is from a vaguely academic perspective, but in the real world, I wanted to gain a greater understanding of what can be done to combat this issue. Leading an IMPACT trip about this topic will lead me to have a deeper personal connection to the solutions we can find and the ways in which we can promote further understandings for those around us as well. HIV/AIDS is still such a relevant issue in today’s public health world, and I want to have firsthand experience of how we are working to solve it. Fun Fact: My real name is Christina, and I am named after my mom’s first friend when she moved to the US. |
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Tanta Munthe
rbm38439@uga.edu | (404)820-2434 Why IMPACT? My freshman year at UGA, my sister was a Site Leader for the Environmental Awareness trip that went to Fort Myers, Florida. She introduced me to IMPACT, and I thought if it’s interesting enough to peak her interest, it is probably a good organization. Coming into my third year with IMPACT, I would say it’s been one of my best decisions in college. My first IMPACT trip focused on Disability/Ability Advocacy and Awareness, and we worked with the community in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Last year was my first year as a Site Leader, and, lo and behold, I ran a trip focused on Environmental Justice that traveled to Fort Myers, Florida (the same trip my sister made the year before)! Why HIV/AIDS Advocacy & Awareness? HIV/AIDS has been heavily stigmatized for several decades. With the rise of safe sex education and improved sexual health education, HIV/AIDS has seen a rise in advocacy, access to information and knowledge, and improved treatments in the US and many developed nations. However, the situation is still dire in many developing countries that lack access to care, education, and information. Although HIV/AIDS is a public health issue, it has historically been a platform for racism and bigotry against the LGBT community, particularly gay men. Like many other social justice topics IMPACT trips focus on, this issue is intertwined with other problems of society. Fun Fact: Tanta is a city in Egypt, is an adverb in Spanish, means “aunt” in Indonesian, and is only part of my middle name- long story. |
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Left: Estimated New HIV infections in the US by transmission category, 2015
Right: New HIV diagnoses in the US by Age, 2016 Bottom: New HIV diagnoses in the US for the Most-Affected Subpopulations, 2016 Reference: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention HIV/AIDS statistics |
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Key Terms
STI: Sexually transmitted infection is an infection transmitted via sexual activity. STD: Sexually transmitted disease is the condition when symptoms appear in those with STIs. HIV: Human Immunodeficiency Virus that weakens person's immune system by destroying important cells that fight disease. AIDS: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome caused by HIV and is a syndrome characterized by a compromised immune system. It is the last stage of HIV infection. ART: Antiretroviral therapy is the medicine used to manage HIV. Community Planning Groups: Local groups made up of local providers of services that are responsible for coordinating and developing comprehensive HIV prevention plans. |
Facts & Stats
In Georgia, there are an estimated 49,643 people living with AIDS. In 2015, an estimated 2,381 adults and adolescents were diagnosed with HIV in Georgia. Georgia ranked 5th highest among 50 states. In Athens, that number is between 251 and 280 (0.5% - 0.7%). |
Educational Material & Resources
Articles/Text Resources
POZ Stories: Wanona Thomas
POZ stories are a collection of blogs and accounts of individuals who were diagnosed with HIV. They tell their stories of hardship, struggle, and overcoming how HIV affected their life and health. Wanona Thomas shares her account of being diagnosed HIV positive while raising children and being 5 months pregnant.
HIV/AIDS training center at UIC receives $4.4 million in new federal funding
This article explores how federal funding is used at the regional level and what that money is used for in terms of services, educational campaigns, and accreditation programs. At the Midwest AIDS Training and Education Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago (MATEC), two recent federal grants are going to fund the expansion of HIV/AIDS training programs for doctors and other healthcare professionals across the Midwest, training that will increase efficiency and efficacy of patient outcomes. MATEC hopes to use the grant money to address needs at the local level, leading to higher-quality healthcare, a better understanding of social stigmas, and an improved method of reducing the damage caused by societal challenges.
Britons Pay Hundreds for H.I.V. Drugs. Why Do Americans Pay Thousands?
This article compares the United Kingdom’s healthcare system to that of the United States, recognizing the faults of each and examining the success each has in terms of availability and affordability for HIV patients seeking treatment. While treatments have certainly evolved to be more effective, different treatment regimens affect individual patients differently, meaning that the variety of treatment regimens is diverse and broad. This article recognizes that diversity and explains how each drug has its own production costs, which in turn, affects the affordability of that drug for patients in need.
POZ Stories: Wanona Thomas
POZ stories are a collection of blogs and accounts of individuals who were diagnosed with HIV. They tell their stories of hardship, struggle, and overcoming how HIV affected their life and health. Wanona Thomas shares her account of being diagnosed HIV positive while raising children and being 5 months pregnant.
HIV/AIDS training center at UIC receives $4.4 million in new federal funding
This article explores how federal funding is used at the regional level and what that money is used for in terms of services, educational campaigns, and accreditation programs. At the Midwest AIDS Training and Education Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago (MATEC), two recent federal grants are going to fund the expansion of HIV/AIDS training programs for doctors and other healthcare professionals across the Midwest, training that will increase efficiency and efficacy of patient outcomes. MATEC hopes to use the grant money to address needs at the local level, leading to higher-quality healthcare, a better understanding of social stigmas, and an improved method of reducing the damage caused by societal challenges.
Britons Pay Hundreds for H.I.V. Drugs. Why Do Americans Pay Thousands?
This article compares the United Kingdom’s healthcare system to that of the United States, recognizing the faults of each and examining the success each has in terms of availability and affordability for HIV patients seeking treatment. While treatments have certainly evolved to be more effective, different treatment regimens affect individual patients differently, meaning that the variety of treatment regimens is diverse and broad. This article recognizes that diversity and explains how each drug has its own production costs, which in turn, affects the affordability of that drug for patients in need.
Videos
The Science of HIV/AIDS
This video, by ASAP Science, is a very brief overview of the mechanisms the disease and mentions various current treatments and programs in use.
Our treatment of HIV has advanced. Why hasn't the stigma changed? - Arik Hartmann Tedx Talk
"The treatment of HIV has significantly advanced over the past three decades -- why hasn't our perception of people with the disease advanced along with it? After being diagnosed with HIV, Arik Hartmann chose to live transparently, being open about his status, in an effort to educate people. In this candid, personal talk, he shares what it's like to live with HIV -- and calls on us to dismiss our misconceptions about the disease."
Gay, Black and HIV positive: America's hidden epidemic
This video explores the hidden epidemic disproportionately affecting gay, black men, particularly in Atlanta, which is considered an LGBT haven for the South. According to the video, if you are a gay, black man in America, your chances of contracting HIV are one in two. This video includes interviews from gay men who have experience with HIV, including those who are affected and those who aren't, and explores their views, opinions, and perspective on the state of HIV/AIDS in the US, particularly in the LGBT community.
The Science of HIV/AIDS
This video, by ASAP Science, is a very brief overview of the mechanisms the disease and mentions various current treatments and programs in use.
Our treatment of HIV has advanced. Why hasn't the stigma changed? - Arik Hartmann Tedx Talk
"The treatment of HIV has significantly advanced over the past three decades -- why hasn't our perception of people with the disease advanced along with it? After being diagnosed with HIV, Arik Hartmann chose to live transparently, being open about his status, in an effort to educate people. In this candid, personal talk, he shares what it's like to live with HIV -- and calls on us to dismiss our misconceptions about the disease."
Gay, Black and HIV positive: America's hidden epidemic
This video explores the hidden epidemic disproportionately affecting gay, black men, particularly in Atlanta, which is considered an LGBT haven for the South. According to the video, if you are a gay, black man in America, your chances of contracting HIV are one in two. This video includes interviews from gay men who have experience with HIV, including those who are affected and those who aren't, and explores their views, opinions, and perspective on the state of HIV/AIDS in the US, particularly in the LGBT community.
Intersectionality
HIV/AIDS and the LGBTQ Community
How HIV Impacts the LGBTQ Community:
https://www.hrc.org/resources/hrc-issue-brief-hiv-aids-and-the-lgbt-community
This brief by The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) gives a broad overview on the disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS in the LGBTQ community, how idealogical restrictions/resistance affects legislative efforts, and how discrimination in employment, studies, funding, and social stigma of members of the community makes them more vulnerable to HIV.
HIV/AIDS and Community Health/Wellbeing
What is the National HIV/AIDS Strategy?
https://www.hiv.gov/federal-response/national-hiv-aids-strategy/overview
This site includes the United States National Strategy as organized by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy on behalf of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy Federal Interagency Workgroup. The Strategy’s goal is to make the United States “a place where new HIV infections are rare and when they do occur, every person regardless of age, gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or socio-economic circumstance, will have unfettered access to high quality, life-extending care, free from stigma and discrimination.”
HIV/AIDS and Substance Abuse
HIV and Substance Use in the United States
https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/risk/substanceuse.html
This CDC overview on how substance abuse ties in with the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States presents information on different types of substances and their associated risk of HIV infection, challenges/barriers that hinder prevention efforts, and what the CDC is doing to handle these issues.
HIV/AIDS and Racial Injustice
Stigma and Racial/Ethnic HIV Disparities: Moving Toward Resilience
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3740715/
Although dense, this article dives into the relationship between stigma and racial/ethnic disparities in communities affected by HIV. The study proposes a model of how stigma manifests in several societal levels (institutional, individual: perceiver, individual: target) and each one’s role in the disparity, along with moderating aspects of a community that helps deter discrimination.
How HIV Impacts the LGBTQ Community:
https://www.hrc.org/resources/hrc-issue-brief-hiv-aids-and-the-lgbt-community
This brief by The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) gives a broad overview on the disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS in the LGBTQ community, how idealogical restrictions/resistance affects legislative efforts, and how discrimination in employment, studies, funding, and social stigma of members of the community makes them more vulnerable to HIV.
HIV/AIDS and Community Health/Wellbeing
What is the National HIV/AIDS Strategy?
https://www.hiv.gov/federal-response/national-hiv-aids-strategy/overview
This site includes the United States National Strategy as organized by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy on behalf of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy Federal Interagency Workgroup. The Strategy’s goal is to make the United States “a place where new HIV infections are rare and when they do occur, every person regardless of age, gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or socio-economic circumstance, will have unfettered access to high quality, life-extending care, free from stigma and discrimination.”
HIV/AIDS and Substance Abuse
HIV and Substance Use in the United States
https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/risk/substanceuse.html
This CDC overview on how substance abuse ties in with the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States presents information on different types of substances and their associated risk of HIV infection, challenges/barriers that hinder prevention efforts, and what the CDC is doing to handle these issues.
HIV/AIDS and Racial Injustice
Stigma and Racial/Ethnic HIV Disparities: Moving Toward Resilience
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3740715/
Although dense, this article dives into the relationship between stigma and racial/ethnic disparities in communities affected by HIV. The study proposes a model of how stigma manifests in several societal levels (institutional, individual: perceiver, individual: target) and each one’s role in the disparity, along with moderating aspects of a community that helps deter discrimination.
