25 Years of Care and Advocacy is a look at Vermont’s statewide network of treatment facilities for individuals with HIV and AIDS. Established in the early years of the AIDS crisis, the so-called Comprehensive Care Clinics were initially set up within other medical centers–generally cancer treatment centers–so patients wouldn’t feel stigmatized by having to go to an AIDS clinic. The four CCCs, located in the corners of the state, provide a range of care, and although the clinics are no longer a part of other centers, there is still an effort to make them feel “safe.” In a state with such a small population, there’s an erroneous assumption that HIV/AIDS is no longer a concern–while at the same time considerable misunderstanding about what it means to be HIV positive.
