Inslee Wants To Cut New HIV Infections By Half In 2020

The red ribbon is the global symbol for solidarity with HIV-positive people and those living with AIDS.Wikimedia — The red ribbon is the global symbol for solidarity with HIV-positive people and those living with AIDS.
Wikimedia

Washington Governor Jay Inslee says by the year 2020, he wants to cut the number of new HIV infections in half.

Heather Hill, a manager with the Benton-Franklin Health District in Kennewick, has seen a shift since AIDS emerged.

In my 30-year public health career I’ve seen a real change in attitude in a lot of people that, ‘so what if I get an STD, it’s treatable,’ You know, chlamydia has become pretty normal and accepted,” she said. “ And that worries me.”

Hill said her office has seen a 64 percent increase in gonorrhea cases just in the last six months — that means there’s an HIV-risk too.

To reach the governor’s goal, Hill wants more money for education, treatment and outreach.

Monday is World AIDS Day.