ATLANTA — The statistics are sobering: Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show the state of Georgia, and more specifically Atlanta, have serious problems when it comes to HIV.
According to 2016 numbers, the national rate is 14.7 cases of people living with HIV per 100,000 people. But here in Georgia, that number is more than double – 31.8 cases per 100,000 people – the highest in the country. And the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell area has a rate of 29.4 – the fourth highest in the United States.
While those numbers are staggering, one local clinic is fighting hard to turn the potentially deadly statistic around.
One clinic in Fulton County offers a medication that can stop HIV, or the human immunodeficiency virus, before it starts. It's called PrEP, which stands for Pre-exposure Prophylaxis. It's been approved as a therapy since 2012.
Dr. David Holland, who runs the Fulton County PrEP Clinic told 11Alive's Natisha Lance the pill is effective at keeping people who don't have the virus from ever getting it.
"It’s one pill once a day, and it is 96 percent, or better, effective from preventing people who are HIV negative from acquiring HIV," Holland explained.
The clinic has been offering the PrEP pill since about 2015. So why is Fulton County and Georgia still leading the nation with new HIV diagnoses?
Holland said part of it comes down to stigma, along with other factors.
"People don’t want to get tested or do get tested, but don’t want to admit they’re HIV positive and get on treatment, so that’s a big thing," he said. "Stigma, homophobia and racism – all of these things work together to keep people out of care and away from testing and preventative services."
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The other part is it's tough fore people to access without insurance, though Holland said the clinic can almost always get the pill through the medication assistance program through the manufacturer.
Right now, the clinic has about 300 clients, but Holland said it's not nearly enough to decrease the numbers here in Georgia. However, he remains confident it can be done.
"It’s a lot of work," Holland admitted. "If it couldn’t be done there would be no point in us being here."
Now, he said the clinic is trying to reach new clients through social media with the campaign #StopHIV.
"(It) is designed to used social media to magnify this message that, it is really everybody’s responsibility," Holland said.
The message: Get tested, get treatment if you're positive, and get on PrEP if you're negative but are engaging in risky activity.
"One of the most rewarding things is when a patient comes back and says, 'Thank you for taking the fear of HIV away' from them," he said.
In the next three to six months, Holland said he hopes to have three new clinics for the uninsured, and he said they have an active campaign of pushing PrEP toward other providers around the country.
