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Data from 2005 HIV Prevention Conference Give
Clearer Picture of HIV Epidemic in the US
 The
2005 National HIV Prevention
Conference, convened by the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and dozens of other
public, private and government agencies, is taking place in Atlanta,
Georgia June 12-15, 2005.
This biennial
meeting focuses exclusively on the important science of HIV prevention,
giving community organizations, public health professionals, clinicians,
advocates and other interested individuals the opportunity to exchange
information about effective prevention approaches. For more information,
please visit www.2005hivprevconf.org
Data presented
this week at the 2005 National HIV Prevention Conference in Atlanta,
GA indicate that roughly one million Americans were living with
HIV at the end of 2003 and that HIV prevalence remains extremely
high among African-Americans
and men who have sex with men (MSM) in several
U.S. cities.
Other data
show that while HIV diagnoses reported among adolescent and young
adult females have declined steadily, diagnoses in males have increased
in recent years.
New data also
show that some prevention
programs are substantially reducing sexual risk behavior among people
with HIV and those at risk for infection, and that voluntary
rapid HIV testing efforts are increasing the number of people who
find out their HIV status.
Results were
also presented on other innovative programs
to reach high-risk populations with HIV testing,
such as a rapid testing mobile unit that has helped The Night Ministry
in Chicago reach more than 1,000 of the city’s homeless
with opportunities to be tested and referred to needed services
and care.
The program’s outreach staff uses a specially outfitted bus
and van that travel into the city between 7:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m.
to provide HIV counseling and testing and other services in nine
Chicago neighborhoods (Presentation MP-101).
Links to Other Articles on Data Presented at the Conference:
Growing
Acceptance of HIV Testing and Expanded Use of the Rapid Test Dramatically
Increase Counseling, Testing and Diagnosis of HIV
06/15/05
Source
US Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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