By: Neomi HerouxPublished: Wednesday, 8 April 2009
Act vs AIDS
To many Americans the AIDS epidemic is winding down. That is far from true. A decade ago all news media had continual news about AIDS prevention. In recent years the focus has been more about the war against AIDS in the African nations, but the American public needs to be aware that AIDS is a global killer and still takes a terrible toll at home. The White House, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are taking steps to accentuate the need for AIDS awareness.
Studies have emphasized that the prevention messages are not reaching the people who need to hear them most, and this campaign is to try harder to reach the people most affected, starting with black men and women, and then focusing on Hispanics and other groups. The studies raise the question of traditional media reaching these groups, since they have a higher HIV infection rate than the general population.
The plan is to use video, audio, print, and online advertising at www.NineAndaHalfMinutes.org to encourage abstinence from sex or the use of condoms. Frank conversations with sexual partners about the risk of HIV are encouraged. The focus of the campaign is that an American becomes HIV infected every 9 1/2 minutes.
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation called the five-year $45 million campaign a disappointment and urged the government to instead spend $200 million on more testing for those who may already have HIV. According to Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation, “A $45 million dollar communications plan, no matter how well intended, will do little to help identify those 300,000 infected individuals who may unknowingly be infecting others.”
Globally, 33 million are infected with the virus and 25 million have died. The CDC estimates that 56,000 Americans are newly infected each year, and 14,000 people die with it. Reducing the high percentage of black Americans with HIV is one of CDC’s top domestic HIV prevention priorities. According to a 2008 CDC study, black Americans become infected seven times more frequently than whites of the same population sample. To help reduce that number the White House intends to partner with leading African American groups like the NAACP, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and the National Urban League to raise awareness of the need to prevent the disease.
HIV or Human immunodeficiency virus is the precursor of AIDS and there is no cure. The disease is transmitted sexually, or from mother to child during childbirth or from breast feeding. There are cocktails of antiretroviral drugs that can keep patients relatively healthy, but treatment is expensive and the drugs do have side effects. The virus continually mutates so older drugs may no longer be effective.
“Our goal is to remind Americans that HIV/AIDS continues to pose a serious health threat in the United States and encourage them to get the facts they need to take action for themselves and their communities.” Melody Barnes, director of the White House domestic policy council, said in a statement.
Act vs AIDS
To many Americans the AIDS epidemic is winding down. That is far from true. A decade ago all news media had continual news about AIDS prevention. In recent years the focus has been more about the war against AIDS in the African nations, but the American public needs to be aware that AIDS is a global killer and still takes a terrible toll at home. The White House, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are taking steps to accentuate the need for AIDS awareness.
Studies have emphasized that the prevention messages are not reaching the people who need to hear them most, and this campaign is to try harder to reach the people most affected, starting with black men and women, and then focusing on Hispanics and other groups. The studies raise the question of traditional media reaching these groups, since they have a higher HIV infection rate than the general population.
The plan is to use video, audio, print, and online advertising at www.NineAndaHalfMinutes.org to encourage abstinence from sex or the use of condoms. Frank conversations with sexual partners about the risk of HIV are encouraged. The focus of the campaign is that an American becomes HIV infected every 9 1/2 minutes.
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation called the five-year $45 million campaign a disappointment and urged the government to instead spend $200 million on more testing for those who may already have HIV. According to Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation, “A $45 million dollar communications plan, no matter how well intended, will do little to help identify those 300,000 infected individuals who may unknowingly be infecting others.”
Globally, 33 million are infected with the virus and 25 million have died. The CDC estimates that 56,000 Americans are newly infected each year, and 14,000 people die with it. Reducing the high percentage of black Americans with HIV is one of CDC’s top domestic HIV prevention priorities. According to a 2008 CDC study, black Americans become infected seven times more frequently than whites of the same population sample. To help reduce that number the White House intends to partner with leading African American groups like the NAACP, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and the National Urban League to raise awareness of the need to prevent the disease.
HIV or Human immunodeficiency virus is the precursor of AIDS and there is no cure. The disease is transmitted sexually, or from mother to child during childbirth or from breast feeding. There are cocktails of antiretroviral drugs that can keep patients relatively healthy, but treatment is expensive and the drugs do have side effects. The virus continually mutates so older drugs may no longer be effective.
“Our goal is to remind Americans that HIV/AIDS continues to pose a serious health threat in the United States and encourage them to get the facts they need to take action for themselves and their communities.” Melody Barnes, director of the White House domestic policy council, said in a statement.
