Since the closing of the Whitman-Walker satellite clinic in suburban Takoma Park, MD two years ago, HIV/AIDS care in the area is hurting, reports the Washington Post. Many need to choose between traveling long distances and piecing together services from a range of providers in different locations.
The main Whitman-Walker center in Washington, D.C. is still in operation and offers one-stop access to a range of services, but it takes all day to get there and back from Takoma Park.
Beth Benne, RN, is HIV negative, but
the virus has impacted her life. She currently supervises a biannual HIV/AIDS awareness week as
the director of the student health center at Pierce College, a
community commuter school in Woodland Hills, California.
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Overheard in the Women's Forum
"I recently met a guy who is negative. I did tell him about my status and he decided to kiss me anyway (we didn't go further than that). But a day later, he called and said that he actually had a mouth ulcer that time when we kissed and he was very worried. Asked if he can get the virus from me that way. For that moment, I felt so insulted and yet I felt so bad. It was my first time having a contact with a "negative" guy."
