LAKE WORTH BEACH, Fla. — The first day in December is when people across the globe participate in World AIDS Day, which raises awareness on the epidemic that has claimed the lives of more than 40 million people with HIV, according to the World Health Organization.
Dr. Casey Messer, program manager for HIV Elimination Services in Palm Beach County, reports there are 8,417 people living with HIV in PBC, which is the highest it's been in five years.
Those that died are being remembered through quilts in a grand display at the Compass Community Center in Lake Worth Beach.
During an opening ceremony event, Compass staff read names of people who have died from HIV AIDS.
The names of Lisa Bloomberg and Kyle Whittaker were also read, who died in the last year, not from AIDS but due to their contributions within the community.
The event also unveiled two new quilts, one made by Michael Fowler, whose partner Jerry Johnston passed away after being together for 20 years.
"He thought he could be a long term survivor but the world had other choices for him," said Fowler.
Fowler says it took him 11 years to complete the quilt, including a picture and quotes to continue his legacy.
"For me it was the last bit of closure that I needed to do," Fowler said.
Fowler's quilt of Johnston will join a collection of panels being displayed nation wide to remember 40 million-plus victims of the disease.
"It's not over and I think the thing we all have to work on is making sure that the people who live with hiv don't have the stigma that was so strong in the early days of HIV," Fowler said.
Last year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human services awarded over $2 billion to help with HIV aid.
New HIV diagnoses increased by 51% between 2020 and 2021 in Palm Beach County, according to the Florida Department of Health reports that
Messer says this was during the peak of the COVID pandemic, and HIV testing rates had significantly decreased. Many individual may have been delayed in seeking testing and becoming aware of their HIV status.
Rolando Chang Barrero, a local curator and owner of The Box Gallery, says all but four of his gay friends from his youth have died.
"I don't know what to say I miss them ... It's another world. It's been a long time," Barrero said. "Most of us were pretty much disowned so it became apparent if we didn't fight for our rights more of us would continue to die."
He's hoping to honor those who passed by displaying a panel of quilts at his gallery along Belvedere Road to raise awareness of the disease.
"We looked around and a whole generation, more than a generation of gay people had died," Barrero said. "My concern is with the young people and with the elderly that it is not a gay disease, that it can be contracted and there's treatments for it and there's prevention."
Messer says more than 50% of new HIV diagnoses were people who identify as Black, with 60% believed to be from sex among men.
He states that the number of people using the HIV Elimination Services programs have gone up by 13%, and have a 89.3% viral suppression rate, which is 20% higher than the general population.
They've also made a focus on affordable housing and mobility for people with HIV.
Currently there are 325 people with HIV experiencing homelessness in PBC, with hundreds more at risk.
The HIV Elimination Services report launching a new housing program for those individuals serving more than 123 unduplicated households.
They're also addressing health equity, as Palm Beach County committed $650,000 to local Minority AIDS Initiative programs this year, and created a Health Equity Coordinator position within the HIV Elimination Section.
Locations like Compass Center also provide people with free rapid HIV testing Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 5p .m. Friday.
If you'd like to view one of the quilt panels, they're displayed at:
Compass LGBTQ+ Community Center, 201 N. Dixie Highway, Lake Worth Beach
The Box Gallery, 811 Belvedere Road, West Palm Beach
Lynn University library, 3601 N. Military Trail, Boca Raton
PBC library main branch, 3650 Summit Blvd, West Palm Beach
PBC library in West Boca Raton, 18685 State Road 7.
PBC iibrary in Jupiter, 705 Military Trail.
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