Troubling Trend In Georgia: HIV Is Being Diagnosed Dangerously Late

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Russell Martin was hospitalized for months after being diagnosed with AIDS. He didn't know he was HIV+ for close to a decade before he developed a rare form of pneumonia.

ATLANTA, Ga - In Grady Memorial Hospital's busy emergency department in downtown Atlanta, every patient is offered an HIV test, regardless of why the patient is seeking treatment. Doctors there have discovered a troubling pattern of patients being diagnosed so late in the game, they are not just HIV-positive, they have clinical AIDS. That means their immune system has already been wiped out by the HIV virus. That is what happened to Russell Martin. He is sharing his story because he feels lucky to still be alive.

"Thankfully for him it wasn't too late," Dr. Colasanti said. "But for anyone else in the same situation, it could be too late."

When Martin finally went home after four months in Grady, he said he felt depressed, juggling "35 to 40" pills a day to help his body fight of all the infections he was battling. But, over time, he said he started to realize how lucky he was to get a second chance. So, he set out to do everything in his power to manage his illness.

Three years later, Martin takes just two anti-retroviral drugs a day, faithfully. He never misses a dose.

He said he feels "blessed."