More proof that we need to step up our efforts on the home front to stop the spread of AIDS: A NY health dept. study shows that homeless people were 7 times more likely to die from AIDS as regular New Yorkers, and the rate of new H.I.V. cases was 16 times higher.
Though this is only in NY I am sure most states would be equally disturbed by these striking results if they did studies in their own backyard. The study also shows something I discussed in my op-ed and became more aware of when moderating a panel at an AIDS symposium a number of years ago in Philadelphia. Though it was a small sample size of women and other evidence that weekend was anecdotal, my gut warned me of the scary fact this study puts into numbers. Women who were homeless had higher H.I.V. rates than men!
I applaud NY and their elected officials for taking action to discover what is going on in this oft forgotten population and for doing something about the results of the study. They are planning to be more vigilant about keeping track of the homeless AIDS population and to increase the use of rapid-results testing.
To take action on AIDS, visit the sites below and get involved.
ACT UP Philadelphia ACT UP is a diverse, non-partisan group of individuals united in anger and committed to direct action to end the AIDS crisis.
Resources from AIDS Action includes information about federal and state appropriations, Medicaid, court cases, and housing.
DATA aims to raise awareness about, and spark response to, the crises swamping Africa: unpayable Debts, uncontrolled spread of AIDS, and unfair Trade rules which keep Africans poor.
Keep A Child Alive is a unique campaign that offers you the opportunity to provide lifesaving AIDS medicines directly to children and families with HIV/AIDS.
Youth Aids - AIDS kills one child every minute and it is estimated that every 15 seconds someone between the ages of 15 and 24 becomes infected with HIV/AIDS. Youth AIDS informs young adults and teens about the risk they face and teaches them how to protect themselves against contracting the virus.
Read Clinton's Quest to Improve Care and other articles and reports on the state of HIV/AIDS in the world.
ALSO: Read And the Band Played On by Randy Shilts (St. Martins, 1987)
UPDATE 5/9: CDC wants HIV tests for everyone
Comments (3)
Thank you Ms. Colgan for this posting and for the fabulous op-ed. Although i work in Washington on federal AIDS policy relating to the epidemic overseas, I live in Philly and am proud to have been a member of ACT UP for 12 years. The group meets every Monday from 6-9 PM at St. Luke's Church, on 13th St between Pine and Spruce. Readers are invited to come and help plan the fight for effective prevention and treatment policies for people living with or at risk for HIV at home and abroad.
Posted by: Paul Davis on April 5, 2006 17:38
Experts gather for world痴 largest AIDS summit
Gateses, Clinton due to address gathering in Toronto
The Associated Press
Updated: 4:10 p.m. PT Aug 12, 2006
TORONTO - As thousands of AIDS experts, activists and politicians streamed into Toronto on Saturday for the world's largest conference devoted to combating the disease, many were determined to speak for the world's 2.3 million infected children who are often forgotten.
Although drugs exist to prevent a mother from transmitting the disease to her child at birth, many children, particularly in Africa, do not live to see their fifth birthday because of the viral scourge which has killed more than 25 million people in the last 25 years.
"It's such an indictment of the international community and of multilateral agencies, I don't know how they can hold their heads up," said Stephen Lewis, U.N. Special Envoy on HIV/AIDS in Africa.
Lewis blamed drug companies and apathetic governments, noting that drugs are used successfully in the West to treat and prevent the disease from birth.
"Why is the life of a Western child worth so much more than the life of an African child?" he said. "We can begin saving lives tomorrow morning."
These sensitive cultural issues, funding debates and hopeful new drug and scientific research will be on the table for some 24,000 delegates from 132 countries gathering for the 16th International AIDS Conference, which opens Sunday and runs through Friday.
High-profile guests
Bill and Melinda Gates � flush with their $30 billion commitment from Warren Buffet to fight such diseases as AIDS � and former U.S. President Bill Clinton are among the high-profile names due to address the conference.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the first reported cases of human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. Since the beginning of the pandemic, nearly 65 million people worldwide have been infected with HIV and AIDS has killed more than 25 million people.
There are still an estimated 11,000 new HIV infections and 8,000 deaths every day, most of them in sub-Saharan Africa, where nearly 64 percent of those infected worldwide live today.
On the eve of the summit, details emerged about the first test of a daily pill to prevent HIV infection which gave a hint of success. The experiment, done in Africa, mainly showed that the drug Viread is safe when used for prevention.
The new approach involves Viread � known generically as tenofovir � a drug already used to treat AIDS. A study by Family Health International, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, tested it on HIV-negative women, many of whom were prostitutes at high risk. After an average of six months, only two HIV cases developed among the 427 women on Viread, compared with six infections among the 432 given a dummy drug.
"We really would be irresponsible to draw conclusions at this time," because those are too few cases to make judgments on, said Dr. Ward Cates of Family Health. "But it does underscore the importance of moving forward very quickly now on the other studies on the drawing board."
ｩ 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Posted by: Flavia on August 13, 2006 12:38
STOP AIDS !!! I SAY NOT TO BUTTFUCKING AND DRUGS. ROCK ON ! PARTY ON... LOVE BEER ROCK ON THATS AL I NEED IS BEER ROCK STAR NO BUTTFUCKING ANYMORE
Posted by: MIKE on April 14, 2007 14:57