By James Albino and Miguel Gomez According to CDC estimates , 9,400 Latinos in the United States were newly infected with HIV in 2009. Latinos make up 16% of the U.S. population, but approximately 20% of new infections. Sixty-four percent (or nearly two-thirds) of all HIV infections in the Latino community occur among gay and bisexual men. Among women, 1,700 heterosexual Latinas became infected in 2009, making them more than four times more likely to become infected with HIV than white … [Read more...]
NHAS Celebrates Progress at One-Year Anniversary!
National HIV/AIDS Strategy Celebrates One-Year Anniversary! On the eve of the first anniversary of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS), representatives of the six federal agencies tasked by the President with lead responsibility for implementing NHAS gathered for one of our regular meetings and shared updates on implementation progress. Chairing the meeting, the Assistant Secretary for Health, Dr. Howard Koh, praised the participants for the progress being made within and across … [Read more...]
National Asian and Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
National Asian and Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day “Saving face can’t make you safe. Talk about HIV – for me, for you, for everyone.” That’s the motto for National Asian and Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on May 19. According to the Banyan Tree Project, which sponsors this Awareness Day on behalf of a wide cross-section of organizations serving Asians and Pacific Islanders: “Saving face” is a common cultural concept in A&PI communities, where individuals seek to … [Read more...]
The STIGMA must Stop with HIV/AIDS
It is a Civil Right to Live Free from Discrimination on the Basis of HIV/AIDS Status When the Attorney General, Eric H. Holder, Jr., signed the Justice Department’s operational plan (PDF 354 KB) for implementing the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, he underscored the Department’s leadership role in eradicating discrimination against those living with HIV/AIDS. The Civil Rights Division has significant enforcement authority over the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Housing Act, and the … [Read more...]
NHAS: Federal Leads Continue Collaborative Efforts
Federal Leads Continue Collaborative Efforts On Monday, April 4, 2011, representatives from the six Federal agencies designated by the President as lead agencies with responsibility for implementing the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) met to continue our collaborative efforts to implement the Strategy. The primary focus of the meeting was the continued exploration of the impact of homelessness and housing insecurity on HIV/AIDS outcomes with a focus on how to better coordinate … [Read more...]
HIV Infections Among Gay and Bisexual Men and Transgender Women
Working with the Community to Reduce New HIV Infections Among Gay and Bisexual Men and Transgender Women “The United States cannot reduce the number of HIV infections nationally without better addressing HIV among gay and bisexual men.” So declares the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS), boldly and accurately. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, gay men make up approximately 2 percent of the U.S. population, but account for 53 percent of all new HIV infections. That … [Read more...]
SAMHSA, Behavioral Health – National HIV/AIDS Strategy (Part I)
Behavioral Health and the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (Part I) As the recently appointed Federal inter-agency liaison for HIV/AIDS at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), I am pleased to join the discussion here on the AIDS.gov blog about how the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) is being implemented across the Federal government. In support of the NHAS, SAMHSA is engaged in a variety of activities that address the behavioral health needs of people at high … [Read more...]
AIDS.gov – Engaging LGBT Leadership in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy
Gay and bisexual men have comprised the largest proportion of the HIV epidemic in the United States since the first cases were reported in the 1980s, and that has not changed. They still comprise the greatest proportion of infections nationally. (For more details on HIV/AIDS among gay and bisexual men, see CDC’s fact sheet (PDF 263 KB) and latest surveillance data.) As with gay and bisexual men, transgender individuals are also at very high risk for HIV infection. The National HIV/AIDS … [Read more...]