Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) estimates that more than 1,100,000 people are currently living with HIV
in the United States;
Whereas the CDC estimates that 56,300 individuals were
newly infected with HIV in 2006;
Whereas the CDC estimates that in 2006 approximately
232,700, or 21 percent of individuals with HIV were unaware that they were
infected;
Whereas the estimates by the CDC utilize a new methodology
that has resulted in more accurate estimates of new infections than the
previous methodology;
Whereas the new estimates of HIV infection rates are 40
percent higher than previous estimates;
Whereas African-Americans account for approximately 12
percent of the population of the United States, but accounted for 45 percent of
new HIV infections in 2006;
Whereas, of the estimated 18,849 people under the age of
25 who were diagnosed with HIV between 2001 and 2005, more than 60 percent were
African-American;
Whereas young gay men of color bear a disproportionate
burden of the epidemic, with more new HIV infections in 2006 occurring among 13
to 29 year old African-American men who have sex with men (MSM) than among any
other subpopulation of MSM;
Whereas in 2006, African-American women accounted for 61
percent of new HIV infections among women and had an infection rate that was
almost 15 times higher than that of White women;
Whereas the CDC has determined that the leading cause of
HIV infection among African-American men is sexual contact with other men,
followed by intravenous drug use and heterosexual contact;
Whereas the CDC has determined that the leading cause of
HIV infection among African-American women is heterosexual contact, followed by
intravenous drug use;
Whereas the Black AIDS Institute notes that there are more
African-Americans living with HIV in the United States than there are people
living with HIV in 7 out of the 15 focus countries served by the President's
Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief;
Whereas the CDC notes that socioeconomic issues impact the
rates of HIV infection among African-Americans, and studies have found an
association between higher AIDS rates and lower incomes;
Whereas the rate of AIDS diagnoses for African-American
adults and adolescents is 10 times higher than that of their White
counterparts, and the rate of diagnoses for African-American women is nearly 23
times the rate for White women;
Whereas African-Americans are diagnosed with AIDS later
than their nonminority counterparts, are confronted with barriers in accessing
care and treatment, and face higher morbidity and mortality outcomes;
Whereas the CDC estimates that among persons who where
diagnosed with AIDS during 1997 to 2004, African-Americans had the poorest
survival rates of any racial or ethnic group, with 66 percent surviving after 9
years compared with 67 percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives, 74
percent of Hispanics, 75 percent of Whites, and 81 percent of Asians and
Pacific Islanders;
Whereas in 2004, AIDS was among the top 4 causes of death
for African-American men and women between the ages of 25 to 54, the number 2
cause of death for African-American men between the ages of 35 to 44, and the
number 1 cause of death for African-American women between the ages 25 to
34;
Whereas in 1998, Congress and the Clinton Administration
created the National Minority AIDS Initiative to help coordinate funding, build
capacity, and provide prevention, care, and treatment services within the
African-American, Hispanic, Asian Pacific Islander, and Native American
communities;
Whereas the National Minority AIDS Initiative assists with
leadership development of community-based organizations (CBOs), establishes and
links provider networks, builds community prevention infrastructure, promotes
technical assistance among CBOs, and raises awareness among African-American
communities;
Whereas, on February 23, 2001, the first annual
National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
was organized, with the
slogan Get Educated, Get Involved, Get Tested
; and
Whereas February 7 of each year is now recognized as
National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
and this year the slogan
is “Black Life is Worth Saving”: Now, therefore, be it
That Congress—
(1)supports the goals and ideals of
National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
and recognizes the ninth
anniversary of observing such day;
(2)encourages State
and local governments, including their public health agencies, to recognize
such day, to publicize its importance among their communities, and to encourage
individuals, especially African-Americans, to get tested for HIV;
(3)encourages
national, State, and local media organizations to carry messages in support of
National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
;
(4)supports the
development of a national AIDS strategy with clear goals and objectives to
reduce new HIV infections, especially among African-Americans, men who have sex
with men, and other vulnerable communities;
(5)supports the
strengthening of stable African-American communities;
(6)supports reducing
the impact of incarceration as a driver of new HIV infections within the
African-American community;
(7)supports reducing
the number of HIV infections in the African-American community resulting from
injection drug use;
(8)supports effective
and comprehensive HIV prevention education programs to promote the early
identification of HIV through voluntary routine testing, and to connect those
in need to treatment and care as early as possible; and
(9)supports
appropriate funding for HIV/AIDS prevention, care, treatment, and
housing.