HJNO Sep/Oct 2019

Healthcare Journal of new orleans I  SEP / OCT 2019 21 among PLWH (promoting the U=U [Undetectable=Untransmittable] message and science, which eliminates the possibility of transmission, implementing innovative, impactful programs such as HealthModels, which provide incentives for achieving and maintaining viral suppression) The progress and improvements noted above occurred through enhanced and expanded programs in collaboration with numerous community partners, hospitals, health clinics, correctional facilities, and local city and parish governments, includ- ing the efforts of a highly skilled and pas- sionate workforce of disease intervention specialists, case managers, navigators, and many others over the past decade. The expansion of Medicaid in Louisiana in 2016 also greatly increased individuals’access to comprehensive health care coverage, which assured that persons could obtain needed treatment and care. Furthermore, LDH has increasingly addressedHIVby examining and attempting to focus on the broader social determinant of health (e.g. trainings on institutional rac- ism, homophobia, and transphobia, imple- menting programing that assists patients with transportation, housing, and food sta- bility, etc.). In addition, HIV efforts continue to be integratedwithin broader sexual health services, including syphilis, gonorrhea, chla- mydia, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C screening and treatment, to reduce the stigma that can occur when HIV is the sole focus of services. By diagnosing and treating other STIs, an individual’s risk of acquiring HIV is directly reduced. Explain some of the new treatment options for HIV patients. HIV treatment options continue to become available on a regular basis. There are now many options that require as few as two pills or even single pill daily treat- ment regimens that are highly effective with few side effects. This is in stark contrast to the numerous daily pill regimens that were toxic and less effective in the beginning of the epidemic. Additionally, most PLWH in Louisiana now enjoy full health care cover- age throughMedicaid expansion or partici- pation in the health insurance market place plans under the Affordable Care Act; previ- ously, assistance was restricted to HIV spe- cific medications and health care, but not comprehensive coverage as we have today. For additional information about new treatment options, please review https://aidsinfo.nih.gov/understand- i ng - h i v - a i d s / f a c t - s h e e t s / 2 1 / 5 8 / fda-approved-hiv-medicines How does Louisiana compare to other states with HIV number of patients? At the end of 2016, Louisiana had 20,085 people living with HIV, which puts us at about 13th nationally for absolute numbers. Our rate of HIV infection is 22.1 per 100,000, which places us 4th in the nation.As we said earlier, we have prioritized diagnosing indi- viduals earlier, so the rate of people living with HIV who have late stage (stage 3 or AIDS) has also fallen from 12.0 to 10.8 per 100,000, placing the state 3rd in the nation,