After a contentious meeting that ended with a vote to keep the Fresno County Public Library from participating in Fresno’s Rainbow Pride Parade, county supervisors approved participation by the departments of public health and behavioral health.
Both departments will be limited to distributing health and contact information, a departure from previous events in which staff handed out condoms and lubricant.
The decision comes as Department of Public Health Director Joe Prado says the county has seen a spike in late-stage HIV diagnoses, making the disease more difficult to treat.
That increases the likelihood of HIV progressing to AIDS, which is significantly harder to treat.
“People with HIV are progressing to an AIDS diagnosis faster, within less than 12 months,” Prado said. “That means we could avoid having an AIDS diagnosis if they were able to get treatment and be able to be screened. So AIDS diagnosis, unfortunately, there’s poor health outcomes with that, which HIV is manageable with proper treatment.”
(Fresno County Department of Public Health)
2024 HIV Cases Decreased from 2023 Highs
Following record highs in 2022 and 2023, HIV cases declined in 2024, though the number of late diagnoses increased, according to Fresno County data show. The county’s 2023 infection rate of 17.2 cases per 100,000 residents ranked Fresno County among the worst 25% of counties in California.
After 2023, new cases among men dropped from more than 140 to fewer than 120. Among women, new cases fell from just under 40 to fewer than 20.
Sexual transmission between men remained the leading cause of infection, accounting for more than half of new cases, according to county data.
Get Tested Early: Prado
Treatment for HIV has changed dramatically since the 1980s, Prado said.
With early detection and treatment, people living with HIV can expect near-normal life spans because of advances in medication and therapies.
But treatment becomes far more difficult once HIV progresses to AIDS, Prado said.
A rise in co-infections involving syphilis has further complicated treatment efforts, Prado told supervisors.
According to HIV.gov, sores caused by syphilis can make contracting HIV easier. Nationally, syphilis cases have increased 80% from 2018 to 2022.
(Fresno County Department of Public Health)
Part of the outreach at the Pride event will include information on HIV testing, Prado said, as officials hope to reach young people who may not believe they are at risk of contracting the disease.
County workers also will emphasize healthy relationships and prevention strategies aimed at reducing the spread of sexually transmitted infections.
“When you talk about healthy relationships, how do you protect the individual that you’re going to have sex with?” Prado said. “I think it’s so important to be thinking about healthy relationships, so I think that’s another upstream message that we can really focus on.”
1-in-10 LGBT Youth Attempt Suicide: Chavez
Supervisor Luis Chavez said 39% to 41% of LGBTQ+ youth have contemplated suicide, citing county data. About 1 in 10 have attempted suicide.
To help address mental health issues within the community, behavioral health workers will distribute information about substance abuse treatment and mental health services, with a particular emphasis on the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, department Director Susan Holt said.
Holt said her department typically sees an increase in requests for services after participating in community events.
“We do find that individuals that don’t know how to navigate the behavioral health system, that’s the first entry into understanding how to contact us,” Holt said.
Library Education Essential to Health: Bookseller
The Pride Parade is one of Fresno County’s largest attended events of its kind, organizers told supervisors. With between 16,000 and 20,000 in attendance last year, departments can access many in the LGBT community.
On May 12, Fresno County supervisors voted 3-2 to deny allowing the library to attend Pride events, leaving in place LGBT book displays.
Fresno County Supervisor Garry Bredefeld said the library has no need to participate, calling the push of LGBT material “indoctrination.”
In a much quieter meeting this week, Bredefeld said county participation aligns more with his vision of the county’s role in private events.
“I do see a role for public health to be at this event as well at many events disseminating medical and clinical information to many populations including this population,” Bredefeld said.
He said the library does not attend many other local events such as the Clovis Rodeo, FresYes Fest, or others.
An attendee who identified themself as “queer” said the library serves as a source for broader education.
“I’m not old enough to remember the AIDS crisis or the Public Health Department’s involvement in negating said crisis, but I read about it,” they said. “I love to read. I am a bookseller and I believe access is equivalent to survival. I shelve books everyday that contain opinions I heartily disagree with and I shelve them because I disagree with their content.”