photo by steed media service

Rashad Burgess is gravely serious about HIV/AIDS. Burgess, the acting chief of the Capacity Building Branch within the Department of HIV/Aids Prevention for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, is charged with the task of curtailing the rate of HIV infection throughout the country. It comes as no surprise that he is a reservoir of HIV prevention knowledge. “People need to know their status — from a recent test. If you are engaging in sex, you need to be tested every 6–8 months,” affirms Burgess. “We also need to be honest about our status,” he says, emphasizing how important testing is in prevention.

Burgess also points out how those who already have the virus can aid in prevention. “People with AIDS need to stick to their (medicine) regimen,” he says. “We know that deviations in the regimen can have a drastic impact on the viral load of the patient, [further] increasing the [transmissibility] of the disease.”

Burgess is also a staunch advocate for research. “I participated in clinical research because I value my health and I was interested in the results of the research,” he says. While he acknowledges progress has been made in prevention, he advocates other ways to combat the disease. “We must build more partnerships with researchers and academic institutions to increase awareness and education.” -

delgie jones II

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