The Ending the HIV Epidemic Campaign is working to reduce the number of those with HIV in Miami-Dade by 75% in the next five years. Community Ambassador, Dr. Lawrence Friedman, explains how the organization is working to educate and reach that goal.
The campaign is a federal effort working all across the United States, while focusing on areas known to have especially high transmission rates, like Miami-Dade. Its goal is to bring awareness and hopefully reduce new cases of HIV by 90% by 2030.
Dr. Friedman is a pediatrician at the University of Miami specializing in adolescences who have acquired HIV. These specialty services started in 1990 because youth are one of the few age groups who have shown increasing numbers over the years. In the past few years, the group has gotten a little bit of a handle on reducing these numbers.
"Seeing teenagers and young adults as I do, we're dealing with developmental issues and not even full understanding of all the ramifications of certain behaviors," he says. "Young people are finding out about their sexuality, they're exploring life, and it's important that they know their HIV status."
Knowing your status is the number one way to prevent the spread of HIV. The treatments are so effective now, thanks to the advancement in technology. www.testmiami.org has information about getting tested, getting care, and getting prevention.
