Tony Merritt, 77, has been living with HIV for more than three decades and is using his voice as a member of Atlanta’s Black LGBTQ+ community to be fearless and encourage others to get tested and learn their status.  

Working with the National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on Feb. 7, Merritt partnered with AvitaCare Atlanta on an HIV and STI testing event called “Be Fearless. Get Tested.” at its clinic from Feb. 5-11 to help all Atlantans overcome the stigma and fear associated with HIV and STI testing.  

Additionally, Merritt has been a patient at AvitaCare Atlanta for over 25 years.  

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 16 percent of Georgians with HIV are unaware of their status, which means they aren’t getting the HIV care they need.  

In Atlanta, where new HIV diagnoses rank among the highest in major U.S. cities, there is an increased likelihood that Black men and women will be living with an HIV diagnosis over white men and women, respectively.  

34 years ago… 

34 years ago, Merritt received a call that changed his life forever.  

“My mother had polyps and so we all had to get tested,” he said. “While I was at the doctor’s office, the doctor asked me if I would like to be tested for AIDS and I said yeah, so he ran the test, and about a week or so later, he called to tell me to come in and that’s when he informed me the test came back positive and he was going to recommend an infectious disease specialist I should see to start my care. Within that same week, I got a letter from the American Red Cross that my lab results showed, I was positive. I wanted to keep that letter because it was sort of a…