Listen Live
Stone Soul Vendor Graphics
99.3-105.7 Kiss FM
CLOSE
HIV/AIDS symbol

Source: JEWEL SAMAD / Getty

A shocking report reveals that half of Atlanta’s HIV patients were discovered to already have AIDS fully developed in their bodies due to a lack of medicine but mainly for waiting too long to get tested.

MUST READ: SHE’S THE LAW: Ebola Nurse Files Lawsuit Against Texas Hospital For Negligence After They ‘Failed’ Her

The HIV crisis has been a concern for Atlanta’s medical community since 2013, when Grady Hospital started offering routine testing through their FOCUS program. On average, two to three patients daily were found carrying the virus.

Atlanta is currently in the top 5 of U.S. cities with the most new cases of HIV and medical field experts are looking at a few reasons why the diseases have surged there specifically. Grady Hospital’s Emergency Department has been the only one to take the CDC’s recommendation that patients should be able to get STD/HIV testing wherever healthcare is provided and through federal funding, Grady was able to create their FOCUS program.

Outside of Grady, there are 50 other stations that residents can go to get tested, but then poverty, transportation and fear of public shaming (if positive for the disease) have also prevented many from knowing their status. Some Atlanta residents waited as long as ten years before getting a STD and HIV check-up and AIDS approximately takes eight to ten years to fully form.

With upsetting news like this, healthcare advocates in the city are planning to start new initiatives and campaigns to get federal funding and its residents to engage with the local healthcare system. For the areas most populated with residents, healthcare clinics will need to be provided with more of the necessary tools and education for future testing and (hopefully) more negative results.

RELATED STORIES:

HIV Community Responds To Tyler Perry’s “Temptation” In Open Letter

This New Gel Might Protect Women From HIV Infection Even Hours After Sex

Three Male Republicans Have Proposed Removing Maternity Care Coverage From Obamacare

World AIDS Day: Dear Women Of Color, Know Your Status & Protect Yourself

Studies Finds That Half Of Atlanta’s HIV Patients Already Developed AIDS  was originally published on hellobeautiful.com