City of Atlanta Celebrates National Long-Term HIV Survivors Day

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – The city of Atlanta recognized long-term HIV survivors Wednesday evening.

“I was in that building, on the floor, in the fetal position, crying my eyes out when I heard the news,” said Theron Clark Stuart.

Theron Clark Stuart has been living with HIV since 2001.

“I just wanted to live long enough to raise my children. Now they’re adults and it’s a different world,” Clark Stuart said.

He is one of many men celebrated on National Long-Term HIV Survivors Day.

“Medication has helped people live longer, so all people have to do is take medication, get treatment, see their providers and make sure they can live longer,” said Nicole Roebuck, executive director of AID Atlanta.

But to get these life-saving drugs, people need to get tested.

“I think in terms of misconceptions, I think people think it’s over. Particularly in Georgia and Atlanta, we have a lot of incidents here,” Roebuck said.

Another misconception: who is susceptible to HIV.

“Unfortunately, African American women are most at risk. There are about 20 percent of women affected by HIV/AIDS in Georgia, also in Atlanta, so they too are at risk,” Roebuck said.

This is where AID Atlanta and the group Sisters with a Voice come in.

“So our women, Sisters with a Voice, are working with our young women to teach them the power of their yes and the power of their no,” said Marcella Spruell, of Sisters with a Voice.

“Medical care, HIV prevention services: it’s HIV testing, STI testing, so it’s about making sure people have access to the services they need,” Roebuck said.

Aid Atlanta conducts free testing on Spring Street and typically sees an average of 100 people per day.

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