What is your name and where are you from?

Armeldra, but most call me Yvette. I’m from St. Louis, Missouri

When did you join the ACTG? 

I’ve been a committed CAB member for the last 8 years. 

Why did you get involved with the ACTG, and what are some of the things you’ve done as a member?

I joined to find out why we were doing so many studies that mostly enrolled men. I wanted to know where were the women? Where were the trans women? Where were the drug users? 

Describe your community.

My community is about two-thirds MSM, 30% women and 5% transgender. I feel like women have the back seat because of the large number of young MSM who are becoming HIV positive. So now, as a woman, it’s hard to feel like we don’t matter. I want everyone to know that H = Human – that means all people with HIV. I want to stop separating people

What are the most important treatment issues to your community?

Affordability of medications, co-infections, and being lost to care. 

How do you want your work in the ACTG to be remembered?

I want to be a part of getting all demographics represented in clinical trials so we will know if medicines are really helping. We need people who use drugs to know that they still matter. We need to get to zero.

What are your future hopes for the ACTG and HIV research?

The end of HIV & AIDS. The cure!