DETROIT (WXYZ) — “When we hung up that's when it all went downhill from there,” said Dionte Brown.
Dionte Brown will never forget the phone call that forever changed his life. The voice on the other end told him he had tested positive for HIV.
“I was in shambles, I was on the floor,” said Brown. “Feeling I wouldn’t be loved again, the feeling of suicide even.”
Dionte never thought he’d be part of the statistics, but then again he didn’t realize the extent to which the cards were stacked against him.
Gay and bisexual men continue to be the most affected by the HIV epidemic. The CDCprojects one in six of them will be diagnosed with the virus in their lifetime. But more troubling than for those who happen to be Black? The lifetime risk triples to one in two.
Perhaps no one understands the impact more than the healthcare professionals working within these walls at Community Health Awareness Group – a leading HIV testing and treatment center in Detroit.
"We have two clinic spaces and a lab."
Sound machines help keep some of the most difficult conversations confidential.
"For us, we have about a 3-4% positivity rate amongst those that we test."
That’s about four times higher than the state of Michigan’s average.
If people are living longer, and the number of cases remains the same, that means you have more people to take care of, to support. But CHAG’s Barbara Locke tells WXYZ’s Ameera David, the irony is that today, there are now fewer resources for those at most risk.
“At the time when people were dying faster, we had 20-30 providers, now we have five,” said Barbara Locke.
Less free care, and less funding for the fight against the pervasive problem undermining progress.
“There’s a lot of stigmas around being gay, being part of the LGBT community,” said Locke.
And around taking prep, the only medication that can prevent HIV.
WXYZ’s Ameera David asked, “Did you know about it?”
“I knew about it, I heard about it, but I feel like it just never connected with me for some reason,” said Brown.
“Do you think that stigma played a role in your ultimate diagnosis?” asked David.
“Yes. For me it was fear," said Brown. “How do I explain to people what I’m living with and why I’m taking it every day.”
Today, understanding the impact of that flawed thinking is what motivates him.
“We should never feel shameful, or ashamed making sure we are in good health,” said Brown.
The 29-year-old now working with non-profit LGBT Detroit to reach out to men just like him, by putting bags of free HIV testing kits in their hands, and his compelling story in their hearts.
“I’ll continue to live my life in a healthy manner, I'll be able to live it strongly and proudly,” said Brown.
And with love! Dionte is now in a committed relationship with a supportive partner.
“Are you hopeful for your community, for the people most at risk of getting this virus?” asked David.
“I know there is work that needs to be done,” said Locke. “We’ve got to do a better job educating the community.”
“Because that's where the stigma shift comes into play?” asked David.
“Absolutely it’s lack of education,” said Brown.
“We can’t do it alone, the task is too great,” said Locke.
“Whether I'm the barber down the street, whether I’m the grocery man, lawyer, etc. I think we all play a part in ending this epidemic,” said Brown.
