Possible new treatment gives hope to HIV patients

Deedee Richardson was first diagnosed with HIV more than 25 years ago.

“Death,” she told reporter Elsa Gillis on World AIDS Day. “Because the only thing you knew about AIDS was AIDS. You didn’t know nothing about HIV, and the only thing you knew was death. You were going to die.”

[Health officials to offer free HIV testing across SC]

That’s no longer the case. HIV is now manageable because of strides in medicine. And now, a new treatment is offering patients even more hope.

Richardson will be participating in a new research trial at Rosedale Health and Wellness in Huntersville.

“I was like, sign me up,” Richardson said. “Put me the first person on the list because it goes from being able to take a pill every day to an injection every two months. Who wouldn’t want to do that? So I’m excited.”

In the video at the top of this webpage, Gillis looks into the difference this trial treatment could make for HIV patients.