[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Pages 8725-8726]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            MORNING BUSINESS

                                 F_____
                                 

                30TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIV/AIDS IN THE U.S.

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, yesterday marked the 30th anniversary of 
HIV/AIDS in the United States. Thirty years ago, on June 5, 1981, the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, published the first 
scientific report about five previously healthy men with what is now 
known as human immunodeficiency syndrome, HIV, and acquired immune 
deficiency syndrome, AIDS. Since that report, the face of

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HIV/AIDS has changed into a global epidemic with over 33.3 million 
people living with HIV. In the United States, over 1.1 million people 
are living with HIV and almost 600,000 people have died from the 
disease.
  For three decades this preventable disease has devastated families 
and communities. But there has also been a global response from the 
research community, government, health workers, and patient advocates 
to fight this disease and save lives. This battle has yielded notable 
victories. In the U.S., prevention has saved over 350,000 lives and new 
infections have decreased by more than two-thirds since the height of 
the epidemic. Advancements have been made in HIV testing, which is at 
an all time high with 11.4 million more people being tested in 2009 
compared to 2006. Biomedical innovations have created powerful drugs 
that can transform AIDS from a death sentence into a chronic disease.
  The advancement in HIV/AIDS treatment is embodied by the experience 
of Keith Green. In 1994, when Keith was 17 years old and still a senior 
in high school on Chicago's South side, he was diagnosed with HIV and 
given 10 years to live. Keith's prognosis dimmed his hope of a future 
and he lived day to day ignoring the disease and forgoing medication 
and treatment. When Keith was hospitalized at the age of 25, seriously 
ill, and 50 pounds underweight, he assumed his 10 years had come a 
little early. Fortunately, during his hospitalization, Keith learned 
about HIV treatment options and started to envision a future for 
himself. Today, with the help of medication and community support, 
Keith is a leader in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
  Keith's story illustrates that progress has certainly been made, but 
the U.S. must continue to be a leader in the fight against HIV/AIDS. In 
the United States over 1.1 million people have HIV, but one in five of 
these people do not know they are infected. Each year 56,300 Americans 
become infected with HIV. Most of these new infections are among people 
under the age of 30--young people who have never known a time without 
effective HIV treatment and who may not fully understand the health 
threat of HIV.
  The burden of HIV/AIDS continues to be disproportionately borne by 
gay and bisexual men and African Americans and Latinos. While Black 
Americans represent 12 percent of the U.S. population, they account for 
almost half of people living with HIV and half of new infections each 
year. We can win the fight against HIV/AIDS, but our national strategy 
must focus on eliminating these disparities.
  The U.S. has been at the frontline combating the AIDS pandemic. We 
have established aggressive and effective programs, notably the Ryan 
White HIV/AIDS Program and the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde U.S. Global 
Leadership against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Act, known more 
commonly as PEPFAR. This year, as part of the National HIV/AIDS 
Strategy the CDC started implementing a 12 city demonstration project 
to enhance HIV prevention and reduce disparities. In my home State, 
Chicago is among the 12 cities included in the demonstration project. 
With over 14,000 AIDS cases, Chicago has one of the Nation's largest 
AIDS populations and is an appropriate battleground to enhance HIV/AIDS 
prevention, treatment, and access to care.
  As we enter a fourth decade of the AIDS epidemic, we remember the 25 
million people who have been lost to this disease and renew our 
commitment to fighting the AIDS epidemic, to eliminating stigma against 
those with this disease, and to stopping the spread of HIV.
  I look forward to working with my colleagues to make these goals a 
reality.

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