From Tiffany Ryan, VP, Account Services, Palio

I recently stumbled across a blog post about HIV in America, thanks to my good friend Twitter, who never ceases to open my eyes to newsworthy items every day.

The point is simple – HIV is still a major issue in America. Many of us believe that what was once a death sentence is now a chronic condition. Yes, the medications have side effects, and living with HIV is not easy, but the drugs exist to help people live longer, healthier lives with HIV. The danger we face in acknowledging our progress in this disease state is developing apathy for the disease itself.

Jose Antonio Vargas makes a compelling point – AIDS must be part of our national consciousness. As a society we can fund better prevention programs, we can better educate on the risks, we can hope for better therapies – but until it is a part of our national consciousness and, I’d argue, part of our personal consciousness, the epidemic will continue to spiral out of control.

Check out the post, and more importantly, take 3 minutes to view the trailer for a new 90-minute documentary that will be premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival next week. I sent the trailer to a colleague of mine who had worked in the HIV category with me for years. We were both overwhelmed and impressed with the clarity and focus it brings to this ongoing issue. And while neither of us is lucky enough to be attending the Tribeca Film Festival, we are anxiously anticipating a DVD release or perhaps will be lucky enough to find a screening in a nearby theater following the festival.

If nothing else, it’s brought the reality of HIV and those at risk for it back into my stream of conscious thought.