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SISTERLOVE_INC TWEET: “HIV remains a major threat to the health of our nation, and when one of our fellow citizens becomes infected with HIV every nine-and-a-half minutes, the epidemic affects all Americans,” President Obama said in a statement.”

SOUTHERN VOICE EXCERPT: U.S. Secretary of Health & Human Services Kathleen Sebelius spoke to a packed afternoon plenary of the HIV Prevention Conference in Atlanta Monday and announced Dr. Helene Gayle, currently the president and CEO of Atlanta-based CARE, would become the chair of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV and AIDS. Sebelius also stated the U.S. is at a crucial time in its history in facing the HIV/AIDS epidemic in this country

Sources: U.S. at ‘turning point’ in fight against AIDS, says HHS Sect. Kathleen Sebelius
CARE president and CEO named chair of Presidential Advisory Council on HIV & AIDS
By DYANA BAGBY Southern Voice

SISTERLOVE_INC TWEET: Study shows decreased risk of death from opportunistic infections with earlier antiretroviral treatment.

KAISER EXCERPT: “HIV-positive people with opportunistic infections who receive earlier antiretroviral treatment lower their risk of death compared with people who delay treatment, according to a new study conducted by the Stanford University School of Medicine and published in PLoS One, the San Jose Mercury News reports. The findings could lead to changes in recommendations for antiretroviral treatment protocol, specifically for patients diagnosed with HIV at an advanced stage, the Mercury News reports.”

See the listed sources for more about the study on the impact of early antiretroviral therapy.

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SISTERLOVE_INC TWEET: May 19th National Asian & Pacific Islander AIDS Awareness Day. Asian HIV rate rising. Not too late to act.

BANYAN TREE PROJECT EXCERPT: “Since the beginning of the epidemic, more than 7,000 A&PIs have been diagnosed with AIDS. A&PIs living with HIV/AIDS come from all walks of life. They are men, women, and transgendered people. They are gay, bisexual, and heterosexual. They are immigrants and U.S.-born. They are our family members, friends, coworkers and loved ones, and they need our support.

Here are some important facts about HIV/AIDS among A&PIs living in the U.S. and its territories:

  • HIV/AIDS has been on the rise among A&PIs. Between 1999 and 2003, AIDS diagnoses among A&PIs increased by 34%.
  • Most A&PIs living with HIV/AIDS live on the east and west coasts and in Chicago, Hawai’i and Guam. Over one third of A&PIs with AIDS live in New York City and San Francisco.
  • The main risk factor for A&PI men is sex with other men. The main risk factor for A&PI women is sex with men.
  • A&PIs are less likely than others to get tested for HIV.
  • Stigma and negative attitudes toward A&PIs affected by HIV/AIDS increase their risk and prevent them from getting health services.”

See the listed sources for more about the stigma associated with those with HIV/AIDS in the Asian & Pacific Islander community.

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