The reference to the river that runs through Washington, D.C., was significant for two reasons. For one, Young happened to be speaking at the International AIDS 2012 Conference, hosted this year in Washington.
But it was also relevant in light of the fact that the city through which the Potomac River flows struggles with an HIV prevalence rate of nearly 3 percent.
Yet, there seems to be signs of real progress. Young is founder of the Community Education Group, a nonprofit organization working to increase HIV testing and provide HIV education in the District, particularly for black women. She was joined by city officials and researchers at the AIDS conference to showcase the results.
"The results speak for themselves," said Dr. Mohammad Akhter, director of the D.C. Department of Health.
The number of deaths among people with HIV has declined by nearly half, from 399 in 2006 to 207 in 2010. The number of AIDS cases -- a signal of a late diagnosis of HIV -- dropped by nearly one-third in the same time period. No babies have been born with HIV in the District since 2009.
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