Why We Exist



     "One of the major concerns we have about the AIDS epidemic is that increasingly it is affecting communities that tend to be left out of the health care and public health system, … We know that in order to be successful we have to find a new way to reach these communities" by David Satcher, MD, PhD.

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     HIV is a major global public health issue and has resulted in more than 25 million lives to date. In 2011, there were approximately 34 million people living with HIV. There is no cure for HIV infection, however, there are drugs that can control the virus so that people with HIV can have healthy and productive lives.

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     According to the 2013 Epidemiologic Profiles of HIV, STD and Hepatitis in Missouri, there were over 2, 500 cases of HIV in the St. Louis region. Males made up 81% (2,076) of these cases and 53% (1,350) of the cases were of Black/African American race/ethnicity. 47% (1,196) were age 25-44 years old and teenagers/adolescents age 13-24 made up approx. 10% (246) of these cases.