亞特蘭大開設針對黑人男同性戀者的愛滋病毒護理診所，提供全面性保健和社會支持

New HIV Care Clinic in Atlanta Offers Exclusive Services for Black Gay Men

亞特蘭大，一家新成立的愛滋病毒護理診所正致力於為城市中受影響最嚴重的一群人——黑人男同性戀者提供全面的性健康和社會支持服務。這家名為Total Life Care Center的一站式生命護理中心，是由專注於黑人男男性行為健康和保健的社區組織NAESM所創立。

根據亞特蘭大廣播電台WABE的報導，該診所提供一系列服務，包括愛滋病毒護理、檢測和預防，特別是暴露前預防（PrEP）方案。此外，它還提供性傳播感染（STI）檢測，並幫助患者獲得住房和健康保險，以及滿足其他需求。

Alvan Quamina, CEO and Executive Director of NAESM, told WABE, "The population we want to serve is those who are under-resourced and need special attention, and who may feel uncomfortable in mainstream services. Therefore, we felt it was important to be able to provide these services to 500 to 800 patients."

Georgia has one of the highest rates of HIV infection in the nation. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the state has the fourth highest total number of HIV cases in the country, behind Florida, California, and Texas.2021, nearly 60,000 people in Georgia are living with HIV, most of whom are black (68.51 TP3T). However, only about 331 TP3T of Georgians receiving PrEP for HIV prevention are African American.

Quamina cites barriers to timely prevention and treatment, comprehensive health care and health insurance as some of the reasons why Black people are disproportionately affected by HIV.Total Life Care Center, located in the NAESM building on 14th Street NW, is dedicated to meeting the growing HIV care and prevention needs of Black LGBTQI people.

The clinic not only supports the large number of Black women seeking testing for HIV and sexually transmitted infections, but also focuses on serving Black gay, bisexual and cisgender men. "We are their home, their medical home and their social service home. They don't have to explain themselves, they don't have to apologize, they don't have to feel uncomfortable because we are them and they are us." Quamina said.

The clinic's opening ceremony drew about 75 people and provided food, speakers, devotionals, and tours. The clinic has meeting space and a new patient exam room, and offers face-to-face and telemedicine services. In addition, it operates several mobile clinic vans that provide HIV and STI prevention and testing in the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is transforming HIV care in communities across the country.