BOISE -- Tuesday was World AIDS day, a day that puts the spotlight on HIV, the virus, and AIDS, the disease that often develops as a result of HIV.
The Treasure Valley hosted events to educate those who may not know much about the issue. There were vigils, seminars and lectures around the Treasure Valley Tuesday night. Experts and those living with HIV/AIDS say there's no better day to share their knowledge with others.
Thirty-year-old Duane Quintana runs Alpha, a Boise non-profit that acts as a support system for those living with HIV and AIDS.
For him, it's personal.
"I've been HIV positive now for ten years," Quintana said.
The second time he had sex, he did not wear a condom. He got HIV, a virus that's passed through bodily fluids. Quintana now takes daily medication to prevent the virus from developing into AIDS, a disease that weakens the immune system, leaving the body vulnerable to infections that can be deadly. Quintana says he hopes World AIDS day will encourage conversations -- uncomfortable as they may be -- but necessary.
"People should not be afraid of HIV and AIDS, not afraid of it in the sense that they don't get it, but in the sense of being scared of people who have it, being scared if they get it they're going to die. More in the sense let's find out if we have it so that we can live well with it," Quintana said.
"My lifestyle was not so great for a long time and I kind of knew," Sandknop said.
Sandknop used to inject drugs. His HIV test at Alpha two years ago came back positive. Now he says he's drug-free, but he wants others to learn from his mistakes.
Idaho's health department estimates 600 people in Idaho are living with HIV and another 587 are living with AIDS. Doctors must report diagnosed cases to the health department so the state can track concerning trends. Last year, when there was an HIV outbreak in southeast Idaho the state sent epidemiologists to educate people there.
