The HIV AdForce of the LGBTQ Democrats of Montgomery County seeks to end the HIV epidemic in Montgomery County by raising awareness about the issue, promoting resources and advocating for policies focused on the health of LGBTQ Montgomery County residents.
To learn more about the HIV AdForce’s work or get involved, contact the committee chair Ronald Johnson: rjohn0403@aol.com.
The Problem
The LGBTQ Democrats of Montgomery County are alarmed at the state of HIV infection in Montgomery County and have identified several areas of concern:
Objectives
Our objectives in the HIV AdForce are to:
Other Resources
To learn more about the HIV AdForce’s work or get involved, contact the committee chair Ronald Johnson: rjohn0403@aol.com.
The Problem
The LGBTQ Democrats of Montgomery County are alarmed at the state of HIV infection in Montgomery County and have identified several areas of concern:
- As of June 2020, Montgomery County ranked third last in jurisdictions in Maryland for viral suppression and last in retention in care for people living with HIV infections.
- Other data from Montgomery County have shown that declines in incidence of HIV infection are well below the pace needed to reach the targets for substantial reduction in new HIV infections in 2025 and the 2030 goal of a 90% reduction from the 2017 baseline.
- Data also shows that young men who have sex with men (MSM) make up an increasing proportion of new HIV diagnoses in Montgomery County, increasing from 38% in 2016 to 49% in 2018. Indeed, nationwide trends among young MSM, especially Black and Hispanic young MSM are bleak according to a recent CDC report.
- There is a lack of information or access to information for the county, such as a dashboard like the one linked above for the state that could show more detailed and important information, such as infections among MSM and Black and Hispanic men, including ways to group or separate that information.
Objectives
Our objectives in the HIV AdForce are to:
- Improve transparency at the county and state level with respect to public information about the epidemic in Montgomery County
- Raise awareness about HIV issues to county and state officials, other groups and organizations and the general public
- Promote resources and access to care for at-risk and diagnosed persons living in Montgomery County, especially members of the LGBTQ community and people of color
- Advocate for additional resources, policies, laws and other tools to ensure optimal health for LGBTQ residents
Other Resources
- Ending the HIV Epidemic - a national plan to reduce new HIV infections: https://www.hrsa.gov/ending-hiv-epidemic.
- Montgomery County HIV Services - information about HIV services in Montgomery County: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/HHS-Program/PHS/PHSHIVServices-p274.html.
- Center for HIV Surveillance, Epidemiology and Evaluation - Maryland’s data center on HIV statewide: https://phpa.health.maryland.gov/oideor/chse/Pages/Home.aspx.