The Ingham County Health Department is launching a new public outreach campaign in hopes of dispelling myths about people living with HIV.
The campaign, called “This Is Life With HIV,” features personal stories of local people affected by the disease.
Little was known about HIV when it first appeared in the early 1980’s, a time when high mortality rates fueled fear and victims were ostracized.
Today, HIV patients are much healthier, but still stigmatized.
“We’ve made so many advances in the actual medical treatment,” says Ingham County Deputy Health Officer Anne Scott. “The biggest challenge for folks is actually living with the stigma, living with the misinformation and living with how they’re treated.”
Officials say about 500 people in Ingham County are HIV-positive.
The Ingham County Health Department will provide free and confidential HIV testing next Monday at Forest Community Health Center in Lansing.