Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2007. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
PRNewswire - November 30, 2007
Just prior to World AIDS Day, UNAIDS and the World Health Organization issued a report that estimated that 33 million people are living with HIV with 2.5 million newly infected in 2007. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1.2 million people in the United States are infected with HIV and that a quarter of them do not know it. CDC also estimates that the majority of new sexually transmitted HIV infections - 50 to 70 percent - are caused by individuals who are unaware of their status. Far too many Americans with HIV are not diagnosed early enough, when they could fully benefit from effective treatment.
A report this week showed that our nation's capital city, Washington D.C., is a modern HIV/AIDS epidemic of its own, where one in 20 city residents is thought to have HIV and more than 80 percent of the District's HIV cases identified over the last five years were among black men, women and adolescents. Nationally, minorities account for 70 percent of those living with HIV/AIDS.
"The analysis on HIV/AIDS in Washington, D.C. illustrates just one example of the hardships we're facing here in the U.S. with the infection and the increasing impact among minorities," said Dr. Gary Puckrein, President and CEO of National Minority Quality Forum. "The first step to overcoming this challenge is for all to take the HIV/AIDS test and know their HIV status in order to receive life-saving care and prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS."
Test for Life began in 2006 as an educational campaign of the National Minority Quality Forum, designed to raise awareness of the importance of routine HIV screening in preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS. CDC's Revised Recommendations for HIV Testing are essential to improving early diagnosis of HIV and linking patients to early care and treatment of the disease. To learn more about Test for Life, please visit our Web site: http://www.testforlife.org/.
Source: Test for Life
CONTACT: Miriam Warren, +1-202-772-2186, for Test for Life
Web Site: http://www.testforlife.org/
071130
PR0711D5
Copyright © 2007 - PRNewswire. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through PRNewswire, Permissions, 810 Seventh Ave., 32nd Floor, New York, NY 10019 http://www.prnewswire.com.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2007. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2007. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .