Missions: God at MACS

By Kim Roth

I landed in my job at Johns Hopkins as most college graduates do: it fell into my lap. At the time, I saw it as a transition between college and a career related to my fields of interest, Spanish and Psychology. It was by no means a spiritual decision. Instead, I found myself becoming passionate about a men's HIV study and AIDS awareness.

The Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) began in 1984, soon after AIDS surfaced in 1981. For over 20 years, the study has been collecting a massive amount of behavioral, physical, biological, and neuropsychological information on over 6,000 participants from across the nation. Initially, investigators focused on identifying risk behaviors for HIV transmission as well as predicting progression to AIDS. As HIV has become a more chronic disease, attention has turned towards long-term effects of both the virus as well as the treatment.

My heart aches in the face of such a complex virus, and at times I despair at the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual damage it incurs. Although there is still a long way to go, the history of AIDS research is a history of hope. The total number of AIDS diagnoses in the MACS from 1984 to 1994 was 2,695; from 1998-2006 there have been only 185 due to the introduction of therapy.

I know God is present in the MACS although my co-workers may not acknowledge Him. Amidst the pain and tragedy of the disease He offers hope - hope for a cure to all those living with HIV and AIDS, as well as hope for my life as He faithfully makes my heart a little more Jesus-like towards people whom He passionately loves.

Kim works at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and attends the 11:30 Mosaic worship at Central.