During the early years of the HIV epidemic, incidence of HIV increased at an alarming rate to an estimated 160,000 cases. It wasn’t until June 1981 that the first cases of AIDS were reported in the United States. [1] In the early 1980s, the number of new HIV infections peaked at around 160,000 cases but decreased and remained steady at 40,000 cases during the 1990s and through today.
In 2003, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that there were between 1,039,000 – 1,185,000 individuals living with HIV or AIDS in the United States. [2] HIV screening is an integral component in our country’s efforts to prevent the epidemic and treat individuals already diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. Disease management of HIV/AIDS has been made possible through improvements in therapy and treatment.
Despite the therapeutic advances, HIV/AIDS still has a disproportionate effect on racial and ethnic minorities. Recent studies have demonstrated that women represent a significant percentage of the growing proportion of new AIDS diagnoses (27 percent in 2004), especially minority women. [3] With more than one million people estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS in the United States, reducing barriers to early screening and diagnosis and ensuring access to prevention and treatment services are critical measures in tackling the health burden of HIV/AIDS in our country.
Sources:
[1] CDC. MMWR. Vol. 30, 1981.
[2] Glynn K. Rhodes P. Estimated HIV Prevalence in the United States at the End of 2003. 2005 National HIV Prevention Conference, June 2005.
[3] CDC, Presentation by Dr. Harold Jaffe. HIV/AIDS in America Today. 2003 National HIV Prevention Conference, June 2003.
Recent Events
January 2012
Many state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs have been adversely impacted by state budget cuts. At Women In Government’s 18th Annual State Directors’ Conference one session provided information on how some states have been successful in maintaining access to treatment, and included news on community advocacy efforts on HIV/AIDS. Januari Leo, the Public Affairs Field Specialist for Legacy Community Health Services, a Federally Qualified Healthcare Center in Houston, Texas, which specializes in the treatment of people living with HIV/AIDS, spoke about her work. She is responsible for following local, state, and federal healthcare policy, and organizing a statewide community to take action. She spoke about ways state legislators can get involved on the issue in their districts and states. To learn more, please view her presentation here.
November 2011
Many states and their AIDS Drug Assistance Programs have been negatively impacted by the current budget crisis. At Women In Government’s Second Annual Healthcare Summit one session discussed how state budgets and healthcare reform have impacted patient care and also highlighted how some states, such as Virginia, have been successful in maintaining access to treatment.
The first speaker, Brandon Macsata, has been living with HIV-infection since March 2002. Mr. Macsata has extensive experience working with political candidates, national and statewide trade associations, issue-advocacy groups, and other corporate entities. In that capacity, he serves as CEO of the ADAP Advocacy Association - a national non-profit organization working to improve the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) – a position he has held since July 2007. To learn more, please view his presentation here.
The second speaker, Diana Jordan, has more than twenty years' experience providing HIV services including testing counseling, risk reduction, nursing care, case management, education and adherence support in a variety of settings including acute care, public health and community based organizations. She currently works for Virginia Department of Health as Director of HIV Care Services. She spoke about the decrease of ADAP funding in her state and the impact it has had.
Fact Sheets
Legislation
- 2008 Maryland House Bill 991
Alters requirements for health care providers to obtain informed consent for HIV testing; establishes procedures for referral for treatment and supportive services for individuals who test positive; requires specified health care providers to notify pregnant women that they will be tested for HIV infection as part of routine tests; requires specified health care providers to test specified patients; makes an exception.
- 2009 Connecticut House Bill 6391
Relates to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus(HIV) testing consent law; provides that a person who has provided general consent for medical procedures is not required to also sign a specific informed consent form for HIV tests; provides that general consent may include counseling and the patient can choose not to be tested; provides exception from liability for ordering such test without specific informed consent; provides for documentation in the medical record if a patient declines HIV testing.
- 2009 Delaware Senate Bill 86
This Bill removes the stigma of HIV testing for pregnant women by including it in the standard battery of tests administered for all pregnant women. It will have the added beneficial effect of decreasing the rate of neonatal infection of HIV. It preserves the right of a pregnant woman to opt out of receiving the test.
Publications
In The News
- Lifting the Stigma from HIV Screening. Read the Article.
- Sorority at University of Texas Educates Latino Students about HIV Risk. Read the Article.
- Michigan Department of Community Health To Provide Evidence-Based HIV Prevention Services. Read the Article.
- A Recent Report Demonstrates Risk of Inconsistent HIV Treatment. Read the Article.
Additional Resources
