Walgreens' Well Beyond HIV debuts in San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO — Walgreens on Tuesday announced the San Francisco debut of the Well Beyond HIV campaign art exhibit, highlighting Bay Area residents aging well beyond their HIV diagnosis through portraits and interviews. The exhibit, curated in collaboration with The Graying of AIDS, is open to the public April 23 – 25 at the San Francisco LGBT Community Center.
“As the population of older Americans living with HIV/AIDS grows, the daily realities, concerns and successes of their lives remain largely unrecognized,” stated Glen Pietrandoni, senior director of virology, Walgreens. “By sharing stories of challenges and triumphs through the compelling photography and insightful testimonials, we hope to increase awareness of the unique needs of these individuals while being a trusted community resource to help those aging with HIV live well.”
“The public conversation on both aging and HIV generally leaves out the complex experiences of older adults living with the virus,” said Katja Heinemann, co-director of The Graying of AIDS. “Through this campaign, we hope to inspire people living and aging with HIV to achieve an improved quality of life.”
Individuals featured in the campaign share real stories of diagnosis challenges and life triumphs.
“I spent so many years in fear of the disease and dealing with stigma,” said Greg Mahusay, a campaign participant. “Right now, I owe it to myself to live. I’ve become confident enough to not care about stigma anymore, and I think that comes with aging.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1.2 million people in the United States are living with HIV and for the first time, half of those will be 50 years old or older this year. Left unaddressed, older adults living with HIV may lack the support needed to help manage medications for HIV and other chronic conditions that are commonly associated with aging. Recognizing the unique care and support needed, Walgreens launched Well Beyond HIV, in January, to provide information and resources for those living with HIV and to help inspire dialogue, eradicate stigmas and amplify the voices, faces and stories of those over 50 living with HIV.
Walgreens is committed to supporting those living with HIV. Through more than 800 Walgreens HIV-specialized pharmacies throughout the country, more than 2,000 specially trained pharmacists provide confidential, face-to-face medication therapy consultations and health-and-wellness guidance to help patients manage HIV, common comorbid conditions such as hepatitis C and other conditions generally associated with aging.