Belief in service drives AIDS activist

He works to help provide minorities with testing and treatment.

By CAMILLE C. SPENCER, Times Staff Writer
Published October 18, 2007

Paul Watkins, 60, is an intervention specialist at the Minority AIDS Initiative, a program in Pasco and Hernando counties.
	[Lance Aram Rothstein | Times]

Paul Watkins, 60 is an intervention specialist at the Minority AIDS Initiative of Pasco and Hernando counties, which opened last summer in New Port Richey. The initiative provides minorities with free HIV and AIDS testing. Watkins, a Brooklyn, N.Y., native, who now lives in Tampa, has spent most of his career working with social service agencies performing substance abuse and AIDS testing. He sat down with the Times recently to discuss the initiative and why it's an important resource.

The initiative already exists in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, but why was it expanded to include the north Suncoast?

They (a nonprofit called the Ryan White Care Council) did a study and realized this was an area that was underserved. So they decided to put an MAI in the Pasco and Hernando area.

Why is it important for programs like these to exist?

Because there are people in these two counties who aren't getting tested. It should be part of a routine. A man gets his prostate checked out, and a woman gets tests for breast cancer. We're not with the health department, so it's not like you'll run into your neighbor if you come and get tested.

What does your job entail?

Basically, I am a supervisor for the MAI. We make sure HIV positive people get treatment. There's a difference between adherence and compliance. We want to make sure they are exercising and taking their medicine.

What's the most fulfilling part of your job?

Helping clients maintain their quality of life. Nobody wants to live 90 years and struggle, but if you can live 70 healthy years, that's okay.

Who was the most memorable client you've had?

In the last six months, we've had three clients die. Anytime you bond, even for a short time, it affects you. You realize life is so precious.

How did you get involved with AIDS testing?

I started in 2001. I worked with Gulf Coast Community Care. They had a program called ATO, or against all odds, which dealt with people who were HIV positive and had Hepatitis C. I was a counselor, and I did testing.

Why is there a stigma attached with minorities getting tested for HIV and AIDS?

People of color struggle about people wanting to know the worst of who we are. There's definitely a stigma. You go places, and people don't want to sit next to you or be around you. You are already a minority, so one more thing creates a double-edged sword.

When you come to work everyday, what do you want to accomplish as an intervention specialist?

I believe in public service. If I can help my fellow man accept responsibility for themselves, and they succeed, I feel better for it.

For information on HIV and AIDS testing, call (727) 816-1235. Or, stop by the MAI at 5744 Missouri Ave. in New Port Richey.

Fast facts

Testing info

For information on HIV and AIDS testing, call (727) 816-1235. Or, stop by the MAI at 5744 Missouri Ave. in New Port Richey.

[Last modified October 17, 2007, 21:00:44]