HIV/AIDS: Growing Up In The Brooklyn Community

Growing up in Trinidad HIV/AIDS was taught to be a disease that mostly infected sexually promiscuous people and those individuals that abused drugs. In 2006, I accidently found out that I had spent a year living with someone who had HIV. Shock and fear walked hand in hand straight into my life at this point. Then, the burning question what about me? Could I have been infected? In 2005, when I migrated to the US, my aunt opened her doors and gladly allowed me to move into her home in East New York, Brooklyn. Her mirage had ended and she share custody with her ex-husband for their two adopted sons. The boys were from different mothers who were addicted to crack. As a result one of her son’s had HIV. The hand he was actually dealt in life was HIV, Down syndrome and ADHD. My aunt loved both boys unconditionally.
I now know that HIV and AIDS show no discrimination. It was once taught to be a disease that sexually promiscuous people contracted. However, within my community …show more content…
Many of the new HIV cases originates from gay men, in particular, young men under their 30’s. This may be attributable to the carefree nature of younger individuals, their invincible attitude to life and reckless drug use. What should be noted is regardless of how HIV is contracted there is extensive cost associated with treatment. The cost of treating an individual infected with HIV may vary. However, it is estimated that from the time an individual is infected until their death approximately $119,000 will be spent in Health care cost. While the cost of care from HIV infection until the development of AIDS is estimated to be approximately $50,000. The cost of care from AIDS development until death being approximately $69,000. This cost all assume that an individual receive continuous treatment from the moment of infection until death. This puts a great burden on the resources of the Brooklyn

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