Senator Boxer: Cutting HIV Transmission

[paineinthearse]

Senator Boxer: Cutting HIV Transmission
Date: Wed, 22 Jun 2005 23:39:15 -0700

I thought you would be interested in the following message.

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Dear Friend:

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently released data on
the prevalence of HIV in our nation. It announced that, as of
December 2003, there were slightly more than one million people
with HIV in the United States, a larger number than many people
expected to find.

In part, this large number of people living with HIV can be
attributed to the miraculous medical treatments now available.
Those drugs have changed HIV/AIDS from a likely death sentence
to a treatable disease for most people. Now, most people
infected with HIV are able to live productive lives and make
plans for the future.

In part, however, these numbers also point out our nation’s
remarkable failure to stop the transmission of HIV. Experts
differ on the rate of transmission, though most believe that
there are 40,000 to 60,000 new cases each year. Clearly, the
CDC’s goal of cutting HIV transmissions each year has failed.
And many link the lack of funding provided by CDC for education
programs to this failure.

Earlier this year, Nelson Mandela stood before the people of
his nation and an international audience to announce that his
son had died of AIDS. His was a remarkably courageous act in a
nation where AIDS is rarely even mentioned. He made this
announcement to demonstrate that HIV/AIDS is a serious disease
that requires a serious commitment. It is time that our nation
follow in his footsteps.

Our nation must reenergize our efforts to stop the transmission
of HIV. This means that we must provide adequate funding for
programs that provide education about the transmission of this
disease. And we must be honest about its transmission. Today,
all segments of our diverse nation are touched by HIV/AIDS.
That requires that all segments of our diverse society engage
in the discussion about the need for testing and the need to
avoid practices that could lead to infection, including IV drug
use and unprotected sexual relations.

We can cut HIV transmission in our nation if we adequately fund
education programs, test those who are at high risk for
infection, and follow Nelson Mandela’s lead of approaching this
subject with honesty and openness.

Sincerely,

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator