The Chicago Tribune;
Noah Isackson, Washington Bureau.

The survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation said 88 percent of Americans think the AIDS epidemic is not over, despite recent progress with drugs that help slow HIV. Among the 1,200 Americans surveyed, AIDS tied with cancer as the nation's "most urgent health problem."

Overall, 51 percent of Americans surveyed said they think the federal government spends too little on AIDS and 40 percent consider federal spending too low compared with expenditures on other health problems like cancer and heart disease. Seventy-three percent said the government should help low-income HIV patients pay for new drugs.

"After more than a decade of fighting this deadly disease, Americans are learning to live with AIDS," said Dr. Sophia Chang, director of HIV programs for Kaiser. "Public education and media efforts have made a significant impact on the American public. They have a very good understanding that there is no cure and it threatens everyone."

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, AIDS is the ninth-leading cause of death in the U.S.

In 1995, the leading cause of death was heart disease, followed by stroke, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, pneumonia, diabetes, colon cancer and car accidents.

AIDS receives $1.5 billion a year in federal research spending, 50 percent more than the $900 million that goes to heart disease research. Federal spending on cancer research totals $1.8 billion a year.

Kaiser researchers said that despite more deadly health problems, AIDS is the most feared.

"Today the public has a very strong sense that it could be them or a loved one that can get AIDS, more so than most other diseases," said Drew Altman, president and chief executive officer of the Northern California-based organization.

Yet greater awareness and concern about the disease have not translated into more personal attempts to prevent the spread of AIDS. The report said only 38 percent of those surveyed said they had been tested for HIV.

Twenty percent said they had talked with a health-care provider about getting tested, and 66 percent said they were the first to mention the topic to their health-care provider.

"Despite the fact that medical associations are encouraging more testing, the physicians aren't doing it," said Timothy Westmoreland, senior adviser on HIV programs to the foundation and director of Georgetown University Law Center's Federal Legislation Clinic. "It's a serious problem that, while patients know more about AIDS, they have not translated it into more personal information about HIV."

The survey also found that Americans remain supportive of needle-exchange programs for intravenous drug users. Sixty-four percent of the public favors needle exchanges and 61 percent thinks current law should be changed to allow state and local governments to decide whether federal funds should be used for the programs.

The survey also reported Americans support further efforts to encourage condom use to help stop the spread of HIV. Sixty-two percent said the TV networks should accept condom advertising, and 55 percent said film and TV should refer to condoms when dealing with sexual relationships.

Forty-four percent said condoms should be made available in high schools. But another 52 percent said only information about AIDS should be provided.

Copyright 1997/The Chicago Tribune. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Permissions Desk, The Chicago Tribune, 435 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611.
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