October 7, 2024 • 8 mins
The AIDS Walk LA 2024, powered by APLA Health, is coming up, Sunday Oct. 13th! An annual fundraising event dedicated to supporting HIV/AIDS research, prevention, and support services. One of the largest (and first) AIDS fundraising events in the country, it draws thousands of participants and raises millions of dollars to combat and assist those affected by HIV/AIDS. This year marks the 40th anniversary of AIDS Walk LA, celebrating four decades of unwavering commitment to combating HIV/AIDS. Over the past 40 years, APLA Health has worked to bring attention to crises, eliminate stigmas, and make healthcare equity a priority in Los Angeles County.
APLA Health serves more than 18,000 patients and clients annually, focusing on serving the low-income LGBTQ+ community and people living with HIV. They continue to be the leading provider of HIV prevention and health education services in Los Angeles County targeting populations at highest risk of HIV, including gay men of color, young gay men, and members of the transgender community. Over the past 40 years, medical advancements have transformed HIV from a fatal disease into a manageable chronic condition, allowing individuals with HIV to live longer, healthier lives. In recent years, there have been groundbreaking advancements in HIV prevention and treatment, including the availability of PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis), and innovative options like injectable PrEP. With modern treatments, people with HIV can achieve undetectable viral loads, effectively eliminating the risk of transmission. While this is not a cure, the shift from HIV/AIDS being a death sentence to it being a manageable and preventable condition marks a monumental change from the early days
Aired October 6, 2024: In this podcast, EJ talks to Craig Bowers, the Chief Marketing & External Affairs Officer at APLA Health all about the upcoming AIDS WALK and where the funds go. They also talked about how APLA Health helps thousands of Angelinos in the LGBTQ+ community who are living with HIV and how they work to educate the public HIV prevention and care.
For more info and/or to register for the AIDS WALK LA, click HERE
APLA Health serves more than 18,000 patients and clients annually, focusing on serving the low-income LGBTQ+ community and people living with HIV. They continue to be the leading provider of HIV prevention and health education services in Los Angeles County targeting populations at highest risk of HIV, including gay men of color, young gay men, and members of the transgender community. Over the past 40 years, medical advancements have transformed HIV from a fatal disease into a manageable chronic condition, allowing individuals with HIV to live longer, healthier lives. In recent years, there have been groundbreaking advancements in HIV prevention and treatment, including the availability of PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis), and innovative options like injectable PrEP. With modern treatments, people with HIV can achieve undetectable viral loads, effectively eliminating the risk of transmission. While this is not a cure, the shift from HIV/AIDS being a death sentence to it being a manageable and preventable condition marks a monumental change from the early days
Aired October 6, 2024: In this podcast, EJ talks to Craig Bowers, the Chief Marketing & External Affairs Officer at APLA Health all about the upcoming AIDS WALK and where the funds go. They also talked about how APLA Health helps thousands of Angelinos in the LGBTQ+ community who are living with HIV and how they work to educate the public HIV prevention and care.
For more info and/or to register for the AIDS WALK LA, click HERE
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back to iHeart SoCal. My name is e J.
And on the phone I have Craig Bauers, who is
Chief Marketing and External Affairs Officer AIDS Walk LA twenty
twenty four. Craig, thank you so much for joining.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Us, Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Of course, let's jump right into it and talk about
AIDS Walk LA twenty twenty four. Can you give me
the overview and the breakdown?
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Yeah, So this is the fortieth anniversary of AIDS Walk,
the first world's first AIDS Walk was started here in
Los Angeles and we've been marching for forty years in
order to eradicate this virus known as HIV.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Well, how important is it for you to be a
part of AIDS Walk LA twenty twenty four.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Look, I think it's I think it's important for everybody.
You know, when this disease was first discovered, the first
fifteen years, if you contracted HIV was pretty much an
auditmatic death sentence, and so it was really about community
members coming together and organizing and walking and raising funds
(01:09):
to help find a way a method of treating this.
And so if you look back on forty years from
where this event started to where we are today with HIV.
We've made a significant amount of progress. Now, we haven't
eradicated the disease, but that's within within our reach through
(01:30):
medical devices, and so we just want to keep on
walking until this disease no longer exists.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Absolutely. When you say it's in our reach, what are
some of the things that you feel like is in
the reach to help eradicate the disease.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Yeah, So we have medications now that are pretty advanced
so that if you are HIV positive, if you're on
your medical regimen, you cannot transmit the disease to other people.
That's called undetectable status. And then we also have medicines
that allow you, if you're HIV negative, to take those
(02:06):
medicines and prevent yourself from becoming HIV positive in the
first place. And those medications are under the acronym known
as PREP. So that's the prophylaxis use of the same
medications that you would use if you're HIV positive. So,
if everyone who is HIV positive was undetectable, and everyone
(02:26):
who is HIV negative was protecting themselves from becoming HIV positive,
this virus would have nowhere to go, right, And so
the virus had nowhere to go, the virus would cease
to exist. So we have the tools available, it's just
a matter of making sure that everyone has access to
those tools. And unfortunately, here in this country, certain individuals
(02:50):
don't have as good of access to those tools as others.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Right. So can we talk about some of the stigmas
because I feel like there is still a lot of
stigma when people bring up HIV or AIDS.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Yes, yeah, there is absolutely a lot of stigma, but
I think a lot of that stigma is based on
old notions of the disease and a lack of knowledge
as to where we are today from a scientific medical standpoint.
If you have HIV today and you're on treatment and
you're undetectable, your life expectancy is pretty much the equivalent
(03:25):
of a person without HIV. Right. So we've gone in
forty years from something being an absolute death sentence to
a medically treatable chronic condition, right, And that's an amazing
achievement over this course of forty years. So the stigma
is really about, you know, not wanting to be separate
(03:50):
or a part of other people just because you have
a condition, a treatable.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Condition to be a favor and let us know. How
can people join in on the AIDS Walk LA twenty
twenty four.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
Yeah, so we're going to be walking this year out
of West Hollywood Park starting at ten am on Sunday,
October thirteenth. You know, we have a real low barrier
to entry, you know. One, we just want you to
come out and join us, but people can also donate.
People can also fundraise and walk with us or be
a part of a team that fundraises. You know, at
(04:26):
the end of the day, we want everyone to have
as much attention on where HIV is today and figuring
out a path forward as a community as to how
we can eliminate this disease. And all that information is
available at aidswalk dot.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
La, AIDS Walk Down LA. Do me a favorite and
let me know when is the walk going down? And
you know what's interesting people that are listening, you can
turn this walk into a walk with your friends, get
a team together and just chill and vibe and walk
and have a good time, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Yeah, And we have a little stage show and again
that's on Sunday, October thirteenth, starting at ten am and
West Hollywood.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Park absolutely so can you do be a favorite and
tell me how does APLA health contribution? How does that
all going together with AIDS walk LA.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Yeah, so we're now one of the largest LGBTQ plus
healthcare providers in LA County. We have over nineteen thousand
patients and clients. Ten years ago, we didn't have any
medical facilities. Later this year, I'm about to open our
eighth healthcare facility here in Los Angeles County. And so
what I was talking about earlier is finding those people
(05:30):
and getting people into care. That's our mission because the
more people we have in care, the less possibility there
is of you contracting HIV. And that's what we're all
about at the end of the day, is making sure
that we eliminate this virus in our lifetime.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Tell me about the Buddy program.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Yeah, so, back in the day, again when HIV didn't
have the positive outcomes that it did today, the Buddy
program really paired people who had contracted the virus, you know,
just having a buddy as your life was ending. Essentially,
(06:09):
because the stigma was so bad, the misinformation was so bad,
people just were really isolated. So the Buddy program was
made to allow people to not be isolated to have
a friend as they were going through the process of
the disease.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
I love that you guys serve more than fifteen thousand
patients and clients annually. That is amazing focusing on serving
the low income LGBTQ plus community and people live in
with HIV. How important is for you guys to focus
on that community when it comes to low income and such.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Well, if you look at the majority of people who
are contracting the virus on a yearly basis in La County,
the majority of those people are black and brown people.
And it's not that they are doing anything different than
anybody else, but the problem is black and brown people
traditionally been underserved in the overall medical community, and so
(07:07):
HIV prevalence is just a manifestation of that. So if
you look at APLA Health, what's most important for us
is that we're locating our facilities in which places that
have the highest unmet medical need. Right, so if we
get people who are not in care into care, then
we're doing our part overall to help eliminate the virus.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
So, Craig, how can we prevent HIV?
Speaker 2 (07:30):
You know, the easiest, most simple device that everyone has
is the use of condoms. And then as I mentioned earlier,
we also now have a medical way to prevent people
from contracting the HIV virus, and that's called PREP and
there's different ways in which that can be used. We
(07:53):
can use it in a morning after scenario called PEP,
which is if you think you might have been exposed HIV,
we can take some medicine within seventy two hours of
that exposure and that that would help you prevent you
from contracting the virus. So, like I said, there's a
lot of medical things but we have you know, the
(08:14):
condoms is you know, centuries old, and it's still very
effective at preventing the transmission of HIV as well as
other sexually transmitted diseases that are out there.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
So Craig, give us the rundown as to when AIDS
Walk LA is happening for people that are just tuning
in right now.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Yeah, please come out and join us the Sunday, October thirteenth,
ten am at West Hollywood Park and you can get
all the details at aidswalk dot la or just hit
us up on social at AIDS walk.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
LA, aidswalk dot La. Craig, thank you so much for
joining us in chatting us talking to us about this
no problem.
Welcome back to iHeart SoCal. My name is e J.
And on the phone I have Craig Bauers, who is
Chief Marketing and External Affairs Officer AIDS Walk LA twenty
twenty four. Craig, thank you so much for joining.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Us, Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Of course, let's jump right into it and talk about
AIDS Walk LA twenty twenty four. Can you give me
the overview and the breakdown?
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Yeah, So this is the fortieth anniversary of AIDS Walk,
the first world's first AIDS Walk was started here in
Los Angeles and we've been marching for forty years in
order to eradicate this virus known as HIV.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Well, how important is it for you to be a
part of AIDS Walk LA twenty twenty four.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Look, I think it's I think it's important for everybody.
You know, when this disease was first discovered, the first
fifteen years, if you contracted HIV was pretty much an
auditmatic death sentence, and so it was really about community
members coming together and organizing and walking and raising funds
(01:09):
to help find a way a method of treating this.
And so if you look back on forty years from
where this event started to where we are today with HIV.
We've made a significant amount of progress. Now, we haven't
eradicated the disease, but that's within within our reach through
(01:30):
medical devices, and so we just want to keep on
walking until this disease no longer exists.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Absolutely. When you say it's in our reach, what are
some of the things that you feel like is in
the reach to help eradicate the disease.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Yeah, So we have medications now that are pretty advanced
so that if you are HIV positive, if you're on
your medical regimen, you cannot transmit the disease to other people.
That's called undetectable status. And then we also have medicines
that allow you, if you're HIV negative, to take those
(02:06):
medicines and prevent yourself from becoming HIV positive in the
first place. And those medications are under the acronym known
as PREP. So that's the prophylaxis use of the same
medications that you would use if you're HIV positive. So,
if everyone who is HIV positive was undetectable, and everyone
(02:26):
who is HIV negative was protecting themselves from becoming HIV positive,
this virus would have nowhere to go, right, And so
the virus had nowhere to go, the virus would cease
to exist. So we have the tools available, it's just
a matter of making sure that everyone has access to
those tools. And unfortunately, here in this country, certain individuals
(02:50):
don't have as good of access to those tools as others.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Right. So can we talk about some of the stigmas
because I feel like there is still a lot of
stigma when people bring up HIV or AIDS.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Yes, yeah, there is absolutely a lot of stigma, but
I think a lot of that stigma is based on
old notions of the disease and a lack of knowledge
as to where we are today from a scientific medical standpoint.
If you have HIV today and you're on treatment and
you're undetectable, your life expectancy is pretty much the equivalent
(03:25):
of a person without HIV. Right. So we've gone in
forty years from something being an absolute death sentence to
a medically treatable chronic condition, right, And that's an amazing
achievement over this course of forty years. So the stigma
is really about, you know, not wanting to be separate
(03:50):
or a part of other people just because you have
a condition, a treatable.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Condition to be a favor and let us know. How
can people join in on the AIDS Walk LA twenty
twenty four.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
Yeah, so we're going to be walking this year out
of West Hollywood Park starting at ten am on Sunday,
October thirteenth. You know, we have a real low barrier
to entry, you know. One, we just want you to
come out and join us, but people can also donate.
People can also fundraise and walk with us or be
a part of a team that fundraises. You know, at
(04:26):
the end of the day, we want everyone to have
as much attention on where HIV is today and figuring
out a path forward as a community as to how
we can eliminate this disease. And all that information is
available at aidswalk dot.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
La, AIDS Walk Down LA. Do me a favorite and
let me know when is the walk going down? And
you know what's interesting people that are listening, you can
turn this walk into a walk with your friends, get
a team together and just chill and vibe and walk
and have a good time, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Yeah, And we have a little stage show and again
that's on Sunday, October thirteenth, starting at ten am and
West Hollywood.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Park absolutely so can you do be a favorite and
tell me how does APLA health contribution? How does that
all going together with AIDS walk LA.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Yeah, so we're now one of the largest LGBTQ plus
healthcare providers in LA County. We have over nineteen thousand
patients and clients. Ten years ago, we didn't have any
medical facilities. Later this year, I'm about to open our
eighth healthcare facility here in Los Angeles County. And so
what I was talking about earlier is finding those people
(05:30):
and getting people into care. That's our mission because the
more people we have in care, the less possibility there
is of you contracting HIV. And that's what we're all
about at the end of the day, is making sure
that we eliminate this virus in our lifetime.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Tell me about the Buddy program.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Yeah, so, back in the day, again when HIV didn't
have the positive outcomes that it did today, the Buddy
program really paired people who had contracted the virus, you know,
just having a buddy as your life was ending. Essentially,
(06:09):
because the stigma was so bad, the misinformation was so bad,
people just were really isolated. So the Buddy program was
made to allow people to not be isolated to have
a friend as they were going through the process of
the disease.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
I love that you guys serve more than fifteen thousand
patients and clients annually. That is amazing focusing on serving
the low income LGBTQ plus community and people live in
with HIV. How important is for you guys to focus
on that community when it comes to low income and such.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Well, if you look at the majority of people who
are contracting the virus on a yearly basis in La County,
the majority of those people are black and brown people.
And it's not that they are doing anything different than
anybody else, but the problem is black and brown people
traditionally been underserved in the overall medical community, and so
(07:07):
HIV prevalence is just a manifestation of that. So if
you look at APLA Health, what's most important for us
is that we're locating our facilities in which places that
have the highest unmet medical need. Right, so if we
get people who are not in care into care, then
we're doing our part overall to help eliminate the virus.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
So, Craig, how can we prevent HIV?
Speaker 2 (07:30):
You know, the easiest, most simple device that everyone has
is the use of condoms. And then as I mentioned earlier,
we also now have a medical way to prevent people
from contracting the HIV virus, and that's called PREP and
there's different ways in which that can be used. We
(07:53):
can use it in a morning after scenario called PEP,
which is if you think you might have been exposed HIV,
we can take some medicine within seventy two hours of
that exposure and that that would help you prevent you
from contracting the virus. So, like I said, there's a
lot of medical things but we have you know, the
(08:14):
condoms is you know, centuries old, and it's still very
effective at preventing the transmission of HIV as well as
other sexually transmitted diseases that are out there.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
So Craig, give us the rundown as to when AIDS
Walk LA is happening for people that are just tuning
in right now.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Yeah, please come out and join us the Sunday, October thirteenth,
ten am at West Hollywood Park and you can get
all the details at aidswalk dot la or just hit
us up on social at AIDS walk.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
LA, aidswalk dot La. Craig, thank you so much for
joining us in chatting us talking to us about this
no problem.
Popular Podcasts
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy And Charlamagne Tha God!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Decisions, Decisions
Welcome to "Decisions, Decisions," the podcast where boundaries are pushed, and conversations get candid! Join your favorite hosts, Mandii B and WeezyWTF, as they dive deep into the world of non-traditional relationships and explore the often-taboo topics surrounding dating, sex, and love. Every Monday, Mandii and Weezy invite you to unlearn the outdated narratives dictated by traditional patriarchal norms. With a blend of humor, vulnerability, and authenticity, they share their personal journeys navigating their 30s, tackling the complexities of modern relationships, and engaging in thought-provoking discussions that challenge societal expectations. From groundbreaking interviews with diverse guests to relatable stories that resonate with your experiences, "Decisions, Decisions" is your go-to source for open dialogue about what it truly means to love and connect in today's world. Get ready to reshape your understanding of relationships and embrace the freedom of authentic connections—tune in and join the conversation!