Reply To: America's Hidden HIV Epidemic

Theory of Writing Assignment Forums Discussions America's Hidden HIV Epidemic Reply To: America's Hidden HIV Epidemic

#311
Sara Sanchez
Participant

The informative article, “America’s Hidden H.I.V. Epidemic” goes back & forth between stating statistics, the economic disadvantages & experiences of black, lgbtq men that test positive for H.I.V. The author, Linda Villarosa, introduces us to Cedric Sturdevant as he makes rounds to assist H.I.V. positive black, gay or bisexual men & trans women. The article then goes on to state statistics on the amount of black lgbt men who have H.I.V., particularly in the South, & the alarming rate at which their numbers are increasing. To support this, Villarosa states that 40% of black gay or bisexual men living in Jackson, Mississippi are H.I.V. positive. The focus shifts towards Sturdevant, who is revealed to also be a black, gay man that tested positive for H.I.V. Sturdevant felt shame from this, and the idea of being public about it, which made him fall into depression. In time Sturdevant did become open about the fact that he is a black gay man that is H.I.V. positive, & uses his own personal experience & understanding of the situation to help & comfort those like him. Villarosa then goes on to state how since Trump came into office, funding to help those with HIV & AIDS has declined.
The audience of this article is the general public with the tone being serious. The author’s stance towards the topic is to raise awareness of the severity & disadvantages of those who are H.I.V. positive, especially those who are black & a part of the lgbtq community, and to have more government funding to reduce this epidemic, Villarosa’s language is informal as well as emotional, as she tells the experiences of those living with HIV through Sturdevant’s perspective. Although at times can be opinionated, Villarosa does use facts to support her claims.