HIV Care Continuum Initiative

by AID Atlanta's Interim Executive Director Cathy Woolard In recent weeks, President Obama and HHS Secretary Sebelius have made major statements about the Administration’s HIV/AIDS strategy.  Nationally the number of total new infections has remained relatively stable at around 50,000 people annually, while the number of people living with HIV infection has increased.  This is a reflection of the impact of accumulated years of improvements in medical care as well as better systems of outreach and education regarding the importance of early diagnosis and adherence to treatment. Implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) should help make those numbers even better as more people will have access to insurance and the essential benefits that come from being insured.  Since the Affordable Care Act prohibits discrimination based on preexisting conditions and eliminates lifetime caps on medical expenditures, we hope to see more people with HIV getting into care early and staying connected over the course of their lives. But we still face challenges in the South.  Poverty, racism, stigma and discrimination all play a role in higher rates of transmission in the South.  These are not easy issues to confront or overcome and we have to work extra hard to stay ahead of the curve. The rates of HIV transmission among women and young men of color are significantly worse than other regions of the country.  We must learn, advocate and innovate to change the conditions that make our part of the country at such high risk for poor outcomes. Read more...