Interviews

Phone Interview with Jamie Clark, Senior Research Analysis of Health Policy and Vital Statics in Idaho.

Question: How many people in Idaho are living with AIDS?

Answer: More than there should be. I believe the latest report I have is from 2009 and there were about 500 Idaho residents living with AIDS. This number is probably not accurate since one in five individuals are not aware they have been infected with HIV.

Question: What education or prevention actions does Idaho take against AIDS?

Answer: There are a few different options on educating yourself about AIDS. Idaho has a care and treatment that is administered through the district health departments and other community based organizations throughout. One of our more popular is the Ryan White Assistance Program and services for that are administered directly through the Family Planning, STD and HIV Program.

Question: What are the chances of eventually stopping AIDS?

Answer: On a global level, probably not very good. In Idaho, however, it might be a possibility to be able to have very few residents living with AIDS. There has been a 7% decrease in AIDS over the years in Idaho and if that number continues to decrease we have a good chance of having little to no AIDS at all, only in Idaho of course.

Question: What is the average race age, and gender of the people in Idaho living with AIDS?

Answer: That’s a good question. The majority of them are male around the ages of 22-35, and yes, most of them are homosexual, however, as I’m sure you know, one does not have to be homosexual to have AIDS. Lately we have been seeing a lot of African Americans contracting AIDS.

Answer: Do you think if more people were education about AIDS there wouldn’t be so many cases?

Question: Absolutely. Education plays a huge role is a lot of diseases. Such a breast cancer, women know to see their physician to get a pap smear, and there are tons of marathons and awareness months for breast cancer and other types of cancer, but we hardly ever see one for AIDS. People with AIDS tend to feel even more vulnerable and shunned because AIDS is such a scary disease and not many people know what AIDS is all about.

 

 

Phone interview with Terri Carrigan, Health Program Specialist of Sexual and Reproduction Health

Question: In Idaho, what seems to be the most common way to contract AIDS?

Answer: Aside from the fact of lack of knowledge I would have to say that it is sexual intercourse amongst two individuals where one of them does not know they have HIV and then passes it on to the other person. AIDS is a very scary disease because you first contract HIV and have little to no signs or symptoms so anyone who that person has a sexual encounter with will then also contract HIV. There is no cure for HIV so it always transitions into AIDS which is what eventually takes their life.

Question: About how long does it take for HIV to turn into AIDS?

Answer:  This may be a difficult question to answer. A person who is HIV positive can go years before developing AIDS. There is no set time. Many factors are involved such as medication therapy, how well the person takes care of themself, the strength of their immune system and others. Some people may develop AIDS within a matter of months or a year or so. Others may stay HIV positive for 20 years or more before developing AIDS. Almost all cases of HIV/AIDS are different so it’s hard to give an exact answer.