➤ HIV-COVID WEBINAR, from p.10
for PrEP in favor of employing a
more universal approach in which
doctors inform patients more generally
that PrEP is an option.
“We also want to make sure that
all kinds of consumers that really
may benefi t from this are aware,
and we’ve done that through social
marketing, especially to make sure
that we are dispelling misconceptions
about who may benefi t from
PrEP,” Gandhi said. “We’ve talked a
little bit about how we continue to
see inequities and that PrEP is being
utilized at greater rates among
men who have sex with men who
are white, and we are not seeing
that same kind of progress with
PrEP uptake among men who have
sex with men who are Black or Latino,
among transgender women,
and cisgender women, even though
they continue to make up a signifi -
cant proportion of new diagnoses.”
Collymore jumped in at that
point, acknowledging the gaps in
medical providers’ expertise on
that front. He conceded that Mohamed’s
story is one that is “all too
common,” and he compared the issue
to the early days of HIV testing
when he said many doctors were
not testing for the virus. That was
ameliorated when testing became
more routine — and he suggested
that doctors could be undergoing a
similar warming-up period as they
become more acclimated to PrEP.
As the coronavirus pandemic
rages on — with record-setting
numbers continuing to overwhelm
communities across the country
and around the world — panelists
highlighted the importance
of fi nding ways to continue making
progress on the HIV epidemic
in the face of profound challenges.
Gandhi stressed that the future
will depend on cross-collaboration
between the government and other
parties.
Looking ahead additionally requires
experts to address racial
disparities that have persisted
even as New York has made strides
in the 90-90-90 plan to get 90 percent
of individuals living with HIV
diagnosed, 90 percent of those
diagnosed on treatment, and 90
percent of those on treatment virally
suppressed. Forty-one percent
of the 1,917 new HIV diagnoses
in 2018 were among Black
men, while 39 percent were among
Latinx men.
Gandhi underscored the need
for an approach that builds on the
state’s Ending the AIDS Epidemic
blueprint and combines “disruptively
innovative” strategies predicated
on being anti-stigma, intersectional,
and community-driven,
and are not “one size fi ts all” —
even if the education effort is universal
in its scope.
Collymore echoed Gandhi’s
points and argued in favor of an
individualized approach that,
among other factors, takes mental
health into consideration because
it is connected to other aspects of
healthcare — making the point
that serious mental health challenges
are often a bottleneck to
addressing other health and social
well-being issues.
“That 10 percent that we have
not suppressed, we really need to
look at each individual and see
what needs to be done,” he said.
“You cannot adequately treat
someone’s physical health condition
without addressing their mental
health condition.”
Wirth added that pending legislative
proposals could further
move the needle in the right direction
if lawmakers follow through.
The effort to repeal a discriminatory
loitering law known as a ban
on walking while trans is an example
of a piece of legislation that
would help lower barriers to effective
prevention outreach, while he
also cited the continued lack of
comprehensive sexual education
in New York’s schools.
Revisiting what is covered under
Medicaid should be another piece
of the agenda moving forward,
Wirth said, to better equip patients
with the healthcare resources they
need to take care of themselves.
“Why shouldn’t Medicaid cover
a smartphone or the cost of a program
so that members and patients
could actually provide and get
those healthcare services through
the telehealth?” he asked.
On a broader level, Wirth called
for a greater focus on bolstering
economic opportunities for individuals
living with HIV.
To watch the full webinar, visit
youtube.com/watch?v=iNlyafB_
j10.
Bill de Blasio
Mayor
Dave A. Chokshi, MD, MSc
Commissioner
GayCityNews.com | November 26 - December 2, 2020 19
/watch?v=iNlyafB_
/GayCityNews.com
