Today, California's leading HIV/AIDS and healthcare experts called on the Governor to sign AB 1894 (authored by Assembly Member Paul Krekorian) in light of new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
This August, the CDC announced that the United States has been under-estimating HIV infections by more than 40 percent (per year) for the past decade.
Today, the CDC released new data that breaks down the infections (by population, age, gender and transmission category) and confirms the disproportionate impact HIV/AIDS is having on minority communities:
- African-Americans make up 12 percent of the total U.S. population, yet represented 46 percent of new HIV infections in the United States in 2006.
 |  |  |  |  |  |  | -- |  |  | Black males suffer 5.9 times the rate of infection as white males - and the black males aged 13-29 years was 7.1 times the rate of white males. |
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-- | Black females suffer 14.7 times the rate of infection as white females. | |||||||||
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-- | Among men who have sex with men (MSM) aged 13-29 years, the number of new HIV infections in blacks was 1.6 times the number in whites. |
- Latino-Americans make up 14 percent of the total U.S. population, yet represented 18 percent of new HIV infections in the United States in 2006.
 |  |  |  |  |  |  | -- |  |  | Latino males suffer 2.2 times the rate of infection as white males. |
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-- | Latino females suffer 3.8 times the rate of infection as white females. | |||||||||
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-- | Among MSM aged 13-29 years, the number of new HIV infections in Latinos was 2.3 times the number in whites. |
Experts believe that AB 1894 - which requires private insurers to cover routine HIV screening - is precisely the sort of response needed to the CDC's alarming report and the critical next step in making routine HIV testing the standard of medical practice. Combined with the almost unanimous passage of last year's AB 682 (which simplified patient consent for HIV-testing in California), the state is poised to lead the nation in setting a national medical standard for HIV/AIDS care and prevention.
Richard Frankenstein, MD, President, California Medical Association:"It is estimated that 40,000 Californians are HIV positive and don't know it. Governor Schwarzenegger should sign AB 1894 to equip our doctors and health care providers with a critical tool to help all Californians know their status, access treatment if needed, and reduce risk of transmission. Until we have a vaccine, we must refocus our efforts on every preventable measure available - and HIV testing is one of the strongest, most inexpensive and effective ways to stem the spread of HIV/AIDS."
Michael Weinstein, President, AIDS Healthcare Foundation: "The disastrous new data from the CDC confirms that the current system is not working and that we urgently need universal access to routine testing. Insurers have a responsibility to employers and the insured to assist in finding the large numbers of people who are positive and don't know it. An HIV test costs $20. Lifelong infection costs $600,000. That's an excellent return on investment in human and business terms. We simply cannot afford to be complacent. We strongly urge the Governor to sign this legislation."
Dana Van Gorder, Executive Director, Project Inform: "AB 1894 is a critical piece of legislation in the fight again HIV/AIDS, because we know that when people learn they are HIV positive, they are much less likely to engage in behaviors that will cause further transmissions. Additionally, data strongly suggest that people who receive effective treatment for HIV and engage in safe behaviors are even less likely to transmit HIV. Governor Schwarzenegger should sign AB 1894 because it positions California to lead the nation in making routine HIV testing a standard medical practice."
Oscar De La O, President and CEO, Bienestar: "The recent CDC numbers confirm that Latinos and African Americans are bearing the brunt of today's HIV infections in the US. Early detection is especially critical among Latinos, who find out their HIV status later after infection when compared to others. Every sector must do its part to ensure easy access to HIV testing, including private insurers throughout California. We urge the Governor to sign AB 1894."
Additional background: AB 1894 (authored by Assembly Member Paul Krekorian) would require all group and individual health insurance plans to pay for an HIV test regardless of whether the testing is related to a primary diagnosis or the patient is showing symptoms. Consider:
- The CDC recommends that everyone in the United States aged 13-64"”regardless of perceived risk"”be regularly tested for HIV to help stop the spread of this disease. The CDC estimates that one-quarter of HIV-infected people are unaware of their HIV infection and that these persons account for more than half of all new infections. In addition, CDC recommends that sexually active gay and bisexual men be tested for HIV at least once a year.
- The California Office of AIDS estimates that at least 40,000 Californians are HIV positive and don't know it.
- A 2007 Kaiser Family Foundation analysis showed a direct correlation between the amount of funds spent on prevention and HIV incidence.
To view the CDC study, please visit: http://www.cdc.gov/Features/HIVIncidence/ and http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5736a1.htm.
About AHF
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is the nation's largest non-profit HIV/AIDS healthcare, research, prevention and education provider. In California, AHF operates the largest non-government HIV testing program, which conducts more than 15,000 HIV tests annually. AHF currently provides medical care and/or services to more than 61,000 individuals in 15 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean and Asia. Additional information is available at www.aidshealth.org.