Estimate of Annual HIV Incidence Increases Significantly; New Estimate Will Show...

Estimate of Annual HIV Incidence Increases Significantly; New Estimate Will
Show Need For a National AIDS Strategy

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The federal Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention's (CDC) long anticipated revised estimate of annual new
cases of HIV infections will be revealed on Aug. 3 in a paper published in the
Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The revised estimated
number of new infections suggests that the HIV epidemic here in the United
States is more severe than current statistics portray. The revised estimate
for 2006 will replace the current, widely reported estimate of 40,000 annual
new infections, which has been used for a number of years. The anticipated
estimated number of new HIV infections will remain high, and is higher than
what America has been led to believe. After 27 years, the United States lacks
a coherent strategy for combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic, reflected in this
disturbing increase in the estimate of HIV incidence.

"The revised CDC figure represents an unacceptable level of new HIV infections
for a preventable disease. The revised estimate underlines the need for a
National AIDS Strategy with measurable outcomes, reliance on evidence-based
programs, and sufficient funding," said Joseph Interrante, CEO, Nashville
CARES in Nashville, TN and Chair of AIDS Action Council's Board of Directors.
"Stopping the spread of HIV and treating all people living with HIV must be a
high priority for our leaders and the American public," Interrante added.

"The higher estimate of annual new HIV infections does not mean that HIV
prevention does not work. What is failing is national leadership to fund and
support sound, scientifically effective HIV prevention programs," said AIDS
Action Deputy Executive Director Ronald Johnson.

Federal funding for domestic HIV prevention has not kept pace with the
epidemic, especially given the crisis of HIV/AIDS in communities of color,
particularly in African American and Hispanic communities and the high impact
of HIV on gay men and men who have sex with men. Adjusted for inflation,
federal funding for HIV prevention has decreased since 2001. Federal law
blocks federal funding for syringe exchange programs, which the scientific
literature has demonstrated clearly as an effective HIV prevention tool.
Support for comprehensive sex education that helps keep young people healthy
is neglected while the current administration supports pouring millions of
dollars into abstinence-only programs that have been proven to be ineffective.

"This is not just another set of statistics. There are people behind these
numbers. People are becoming infected with a disease that is preventable. We
know how to prevent HIV, but we have been fighting this epidemic with one hand
tied behind our back, reflecting a disturbing dismissal of HIV prevention as a
public health priority," Johnson said. "The new, higher estimate is yet one
more wake-up call to our national leaders that they need to do more, starting
with developing and implementing a real national AIDS strategy," Johnson
noted.

Editor's note 1: AIDS Action's nationally recognized HIV/AIDS expert Ronald
Johnson, Deputy Executive Director, will be available for interviews in Mexico
City (at the International AIDS Conference), and Rebecca Haag, Executive
Director, will be available stateside through the contact listed.

Editor's note 2: AIDS Action will update this release with figures when the
embargo period ends.

AIDS Action strives to end the HIV epidemic by advancing public policies that
prevent new infections, provide care for people living with HIV, and support
the search for a cure. AIDS Action serves as the national voice for AIDS
service organizations, health departments, and a diverse network of
community-based organizations across the country that provide services for
people living with or affected by HIV infection.

Contact: Diego Sanchez, APR
Telephone: 617.450.1524
Cell Phone: 617.835.1455
E-mail: dsanchez@aac.org

SOURCE AIDS Action

Diego Sanchez, APR, AIDS Action, +1-617-450-1524, Cell: +1-617-835-1455,
dsanchez@aac.org