AIDS IN THE WORKPLACE FACT SHEET - October 1993
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Business Responds to AIDS

In the United States, approximately one million people -- or one in every 250 -- are infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The majority of people infected now -- and these likely to be infected in the future -- are young adults between the ages of 25 and 44, and half of our nation's 121 million workers are in this age group.

* More than two-thirds of companies with 2,500 to 5,000 employees, and nearly one in 12 small employers (fewer than 500 employees) have experienced an employee with HIV infection or AIDS.

* It is estimated that one in 100 men and one in 800 women are infected with HIV.

* AIDS ranks as the third leading cause of death among those 25 to 44 years old and sixth among people 15 to 24 years old.

Research indicates that HIV/AIDS is one of the most costly and litigated diseases in American history. The economic impact of HIV and AIDS is staggering.

* Estimates put the cost of treating all people with HIV infection and AIDS in 1992 at $10.3 billion, up from $5.8 billion in 1991. Individually, the lifetime medical cost of treating a person with AIDS increased to $102,000 in 1992 from $85,000 in 1991. The average annual medical cost of treating an HIV-positive individual who has not developed AIDS increased to $10,000 in 1992 from $5,100 in 1991-- an almost 100% increase. These costs are projected to increase each year between 1991 and 1994. In 1995. an estimated $15.2 billion will be spent on treatment.

* The economic cost of AIDS to society was estimated at $66.5 billion in 1991. This translates to $10.9 billion worth of direct costs and $55.6 billion of indirect costs.

* As with any catastrophic illness, AIDS can affect an employer in many ways:

- Insurance and health care costs - Productivity - Work disruption - Customer concerns - Employee morale - Legal considerations - Confidentiality and privacy - Discrimination concerns - Disability requirements - Job accommodation

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Business Responds to AIDS (BRTA) Program is designed to help businesses across the country develop and implement comprehensive workplace-based HIV and AIDS prevention education programs for employees, their families, and the community. The goals of this program are to prevent the spread of HIV, promote education, prevent discrimination, and foster community service and volunteerism both in the workplace and in the community. In order to achieve these goals, BRTA has developed materials and technical assistance to assist businesses in forming an HIV and AIDS program.