Collection:LPB

Genre: Panel

Place Covered: Louisiana

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 2017-10-25

Duration: 00:56:10

Subjects: Filmed panel discussions | Health | HIV infections | AIDS (Disease) | Health Care | Sex Education

Contributors:

• Courtney, Beth Host
• Moreau, Andre Host
• Gautreaux, Kevin Producer
• Johnson, Monica Interviewee
• Gruber, DeAnn Interviewee
• Azmeh, Waref Interviewee
• Andrews, Sylvia M. Speaker
• Lolis, Shirley Speaker
• Young, Tim Speaker
• Brown, Adell Speaker
• McCall, Sharon Walker Speaker
• Mitchell, A.V. Speaker
• Hood, Kim Speaker
• Cooper, Nydia Speaker
• Howard, Joseph Speaker
• Spell, Meghan Speaker
• Barbee, Kimberly Speaker
• Jack, Jacqueline Speaker
• Travis, Jeremy Speaker
• Kindall, Tavell Panelist
• Ennis, Jamar Panelist
• Richey, Lauren Panelist
• Collins, Eugene Panelist

This episode of the series “Louisiana Public Square” from October 25, 2017, features Andre Moreau leading a discussion between the audience members and panelists on Louisiana’s high rate of HIV/AIDS cases in both urban and rural communities. A background report on the topic precedes the discussion. It includes interviews with: Monica Johnson, an HIV+ advocate and the founder of HEROES in northeast Louisiana; Dr. DeAnn Gruber, the director of the Bureau of Infectious Diseases for the Louisiana Department of Health; and Dr. Waref Azmeh of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation in Baton Rouge. The audience members then discuss: the need to educate people about PrEP, or Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, which can prevent HIV; the high rates of HIV/AIDS in the African American community; the entire community being at risk for HIV/AIDS; and overcoming the stigma of HIV/AIDS. A panel of experts then joins the audience to answer their questions. The panelists are: Tavell Kindall of the Greater Ouachita Coalition Providing AIDS Resources (GOCARE) in West Monroe; Jamar Ennis, the director of Louisiana Youth for Excellence in the Governor’s Office; Dr. Lauren Richey, a professor at the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans; and Eugene Collins, the director of the HIV/AIDS Alliance for Region Two in Baton Rouge. They discuss: the need for increased HIV/AIDS testing; whether school districts should teach comprehensive sex education; providing wider access to PrEP; the most prevalent misconceptions about HIV/AIDS; the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) cutting HIV/AIDS funding in the Deep South; the best ways to educate youth about HIV/AIDS prevention; and overcoming the stigma. Hosts: Beth Courtney and Andre Moreau