World AIDS Day

Tools

By Sarah Gravlee

Story Published: Dec 1, 2008 at 8:03 PM MST

Story Updated: Dec 1, 2008 at 8:03 PM MST

BILLINGS - Vince Fender has been volunteering at the Yellowstone AIDS project for 2 years.

"I basically play receptionist," he said. "I answer phones, greet people, take donations that kind of thing." He also provides a first-hand perspective of what life is like living with the disease. "I've lived all of my adult life being HIV positive," he said.

That's 25 years of being HIV Positive and 15 year with AIDS. Vince isn't alone. Officials at Riverstone Health said there are currently 500 people in Montana living with HIV or AIDS; 14 of them were just diagnosed in the last year.

"The media coverage of AIDS has declined, while instances of HIV are always on the rise," Tasha LeClair with the Yellowstone AIDS Project said. People are dying from the disease everyday. Fender said he stopped counting after 500 of his friends and two of his partners passed away. "The most important thing to remember is that AIDS affects everybody," LeClair said.

Yellowstone AIDS Project provides everything from meals, to household items, to help with housing payment for more than 100 people who are HIV positive in Yellowstone County.

"Yellowstone AIDS project is a savior in my life," Fender said. "There's no telling where I'd be or what I'd be doing."

Fender said having safe sex is one of the most important ways to prevent the spread of AIDS. The Yellowstone AIDS project provides free condoms and free anonymous HIV testing. You can call (406) 245-2029 for more information.

Add a comment

Name:

Comment: 1000 Characters Left

KULR-8 News, Sports, Weather and its affiliated companies are not responsible for the content of comments posted or for anything arising out of use of the above comments or other interaction among the users. We reserve the right to screen, refuse to post, remove or edit user-generated content at any time and for any or no reason in our absolute and sole discretion without prior notice, although we have no duty to do so or to monitor any Public Forum.

Your Weather Authority

Icon
Current Temp 18.0 °F
Overcast
Wind : Northeast at
9.2 mph
Humidity : 88 %
Pressure : 30.25 in
More Weather

Party America Sky Cam

More Weather

On Demand

YouNews

This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.

Links We Like