June is Pride Month, a time to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. But it's also a time to talk about some of the issues affecting people, like HIV.'There's definitely still a stigma around HIV in the community. It's something that we definitely see every day,' said Craig LaBerge-Esparza with UNM Truman Health Services, the largest HIV provider in New Mexico.
'When I started medical school, the treatments were not available, but when they became available, it was literally scores of pills, you know, 12 to 20 pills that you're taking 2 to 3 times per day,' said Dr. Ash.That is no longer the case. Treatment medications can now fit into one pill and new medicines like PrEP work to protect people from contracting HIV and it's roughly 98% effective. There's also a medication called PEP.