HIV caregivers urge CDC to fully fund prevention programs (10772)

The American Academy of HIV Medicine released a position paper Monday calling on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to fully fund HIV prevention efforts aimed at keeping uninfected people from acquiring the virus and not to divert federal funds to programs aimed at encouraging HIV-positive people to practice safer sex. AAHIVM also called on the federal government to support needle-exchange programs to reduce the spread of HIV among injection-drug users. The CDC earlier this year announced that it was refocusing its HIV prevention efforts to place more emphasis on HIV antibody testing and prevention-for-positives programs and would fund those programs by reducing support for traditional prevention outreach by as much as $90 million.

"Studies have shown that cutting the infection rate in half could save the country nearly $20 billion in net medical expenses over the next 10 years" said Judith Feinberg, AAHIVM board chair. "Simply put, it is cost-effective to prevent the spread of this disease. We owe it to our citizens to do this."

The full AAHIVM position paper can be read online at www.aahivm.org.