Through community outreach and education, the Southern Tier Aids Program strives to support people with HIV and prevent the virus’ spread in Broome County.

According to John Barry ‘91, the program’s executive director, these efforts take many different forms, from testing to fundraising events, as well as initiatives that cater toward specific demographics, like communities of color and men who sexually engage with other men. Barry emphasized the support of recently released inmates as they reacclimate into the community, as well as a rent stipend program.

While the program’s community presence has evolved beyond HIV prevention, Barry also said many of their newer initiatives stemmed from that initial goal, like drug-checking services, where individuals can bring in substances they have purchased for testing, and syringe exchanges. The program’s Prevention Point location is on Main Street in Johnson City.

“Folks who injected drugs were a significant group of people that got infected with HIV and developed AIDS early on,” Barry said. “They were one of the more ignored communities, I think we paid much more attention early on to men who have sex with men.”

The program works to dispel the myth that only specific groups of people can contract HIV, working to test and treat as many people as possible with the ultimate goal of administering preexposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, throughout the community. Those in treatment can eventually become “undetectable,” meaning the concentration of HIV in their blood is not large enough for them to transmit the disease sexually.

Nuci Pedraza, the organization’s PrEP coordinator, described how the groundbreaking drug — first approved by the FDA in 2012 — works, comparing its function to birth control. Taking it beforehand can prevent an active HIV infection with up to 99 percent effectiveness if the patient is exposed through sexual contact and 74 percent via injection drug use.

“I always say this, but I find talking to different people with different experiences the most rewarding,” Pedraza said. “I’m a very sociable person, so I can talk easily with people in person. I’m a great public speaker, so I like being able to present a presentation but also hold space for conversation around what is being presented.”

PrEP is for everybody, not just specific groups of people, and the only requirement for a prescription is a negative HIV diagnosis, Pedraza added, also highlighting postexposure prophylaxis, or PEP, which is taken after exposure. Pedraza urged everyone to get tested every three to six months to take control of their sexual health.

“If you are sexually active, and even if you’re not, just knowing that you don’t have anything just makes you more confident and makes you want to be sexually active,” Pedraza said.

Involved with the Southern Tier Aids Program for over 20 years — as executive director for more than 16 of them — Barry reflected on his time working in HIV and AIDS advocacy and the advancements in prevention measures and treatments throughout the years. He said that there was a point before the COVID-19 pandemic when New York state saw less than 2,000 new infections.

“I would love in my lifetime, if we were able to get all the way on the other side of this,” Barry said.