[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 77 (Wednesday, June 6, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H2953]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   STUDIES SHOW THAT EARLY TREATMENT FOR HIV/AIDS CAN PROLONG HEALTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I wish to congratulate the over 50 
influential public and private sector leaders from business, from 
media, from entertainment, from sports, education, as well as the 
faith-based community as they come together this weekend for the XAIDS 
Act NOW Partnership Council. In fact, on Monday, June 11, the council 
will convene in my Congressional district in South Florida to mobilize 
efforts in their fight against the HIV/AIDS virus. This is an epidemic 
that is plaguing our communities and they are going to combine their 
expertise, their resources and experiences to see how we can combat 
this terrible plague.
  Studies show that early treatment can prolong health and persons who 
know that they have HIV are far more likely to avoid risky behavior, to 
get treatment and to protect their partners. As a result, the council's 
message is very simple: Get tested, get treated and be safe. This will 
be promoted by teams that will focus on testing and primary care, the 
Internet, leadership councils, influential speakers, youth, outreach 
support and multimedia support groups.
  The partnerships have increased awareness on HIV and AIDS and they 
have encouraged people to get tested, to help prevent new infections 
among at-risk individuals. Their innovative approaches have helped to 
combat complacency in our community. We cannot afford to be complacent 
any longer. So I ask my congressional colleagues to commend the 
partners of XAIDS Act NOW for their leadership and their commitment to 
fighting the HIV AIDS epidemic.

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