More HIV/AIDS Thoughts - in DC and Beyond

As an extension of my last post about Truvada, I wanted to share this article I came across from The NY Times:
In Washington, H.I.V. Testing Moves Beyond the Clinic

My mentor and some of her colleagues are in DC right now for the conference mentioned in the article, the biannual International AIDS Society conference.  I help with a lot of research focused on youth, and the rates of just youth with an AIDS diagnoses and those living with AIDS are the highest in DC compared to other states and U.S. dependent areas at last survey.  Some of these stats can be found on CDC's (2012) website:
HIV Surveillance in Adolescents and Young Adults

So holding the conference in DC is both appropriate and timely.  And looking at the interventions and approaches that DC has taken to combat these still-high rates are incredible and inspiring.  And we should not think of DC as being synonymous with HIV/AIDS with fear and disdain, as an area afflicted with HIV/AIDS, as this is truly a global, human issue with many interacting contextual factors affecting rates from one area to another.

I think the take-away from this, if anything, is just to promote and practice safe sex behaviors in our own lives and those we know, particularly in youth who need support and accurate information at a time when there are so many developmental changes happening at once.  I think one major challenge is that HIV and other STIs remain largely 'hidden' and invisible in our day-to-day, sort-of under the radar and away from our public consciousness...