Today, October 15, 2008, is the 5th Annual National Latino AIDS Awareness Day. The AIDS Council recognizes how HIV/AIDS disproportionately impacts Latinos in the United States and here in Northeastern New York. Latinos are diagnosed with HIV/AIDS at a higher rate than every other racial or ethnic group in the United States except African-Americans. The HIV rate for Hispanic men is more than twice the rate for white men and the HIV rate for Hispanic women is more than four times the rate for white women. In the Capital Region, Latinos make up 3% of the population but represent nearly 13% of known people living with HIV/AIDS and make up over 16% of new HIV cases per year.

The AIDS Council of Northeastern New York is committed to serving communities of color and continues the battle against HIV/AIDS among Latinos through education and awareness. The AIDS Council has implemented specific programs to address Latino and bi-lingual populations and is trying to overcome the barriers to early HIV testing and treatment. While much still needs to be done to stop the spread of HIV, prevention starts with each individual who makes the commitment to take the HIV test and know their status.

On Sunday, September 28, 2008 the AIDS Council participated in the 12th Annual Capital Region AIDSWalk in Albany’s Washington Park. Our team raised nearly $10,000! Thanks to all that participated. Special thanks to the Help Fight AIDS Through Books and Music and Ritchie’s Angels teams.

AIDSWalk 2008 raised urgently needed funds for the fight against AIDS. The money raised through this event will support the efforts of Capital Region AIDS organizations that provide HIV prevention, medical care and support services. It was a day of celebrating the lives of people with HIV/AIDS and supporting the work of local AIDS organizations.

Our Top AIDSWalk Fundraisers:
Ritchie’s Angels
Ed Pollack
Bob Willower
Mark Duffy
Karen Asher
Kelly Wheeler

Thanks to all the staff, board members, volunteers, friends and family who came out to show their support!

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released updated estimates of HIV prevalence in the U.S., saying that 1.1 million Americans were living with the virus at the end of 2006. The estimate comes at the heels of the CDC’s finding that the number of annual new HIV/AIDS infections in the U.S. is 40% higher than previously suspected.

According to the report, the increase in the number of people living with HIV/AIDS, in part, is because of more effective antiretroviral drugs that have prolonged the lives of those living with the disease. Based on 2006 data, the study supports previous findings that HIV/AIDS disproportionately affects communities of color and men who have sex with men. African Americans accounted for 46% of people living with HIV/AIDS in 2006, about 35% were white, and about 18% were Hispanic. Men accounted for nearly 75% of people living with HIV/AIDS but HIV rates are increasing in heterosexual women. Further, HIV prevalence rate among African American women was almost 18 times higher than the rate among white women and the HIV prevalence rate among Hispanic women was 4 times higher than the rate among white women. According to CDC, 1 in 5 (or 232,700 of the 1.1 million people living with HIV/AIDS in 2006) were not aware of their HIV-positive status.

This reports shed light on the raging epidemic of HIV/AIDS in the United States. The report also recognizes the limitations of calculating HIV rates because the numbers represent only a portion of persons in the Unites States diagnosed with HIV. Overall HIV prevalence cannot be measured exactly since a large number of persons infected with HIV have neither been diagnosed nor reported to local surveillance programs. In addition, national HIV prevalence data are incomplete because local reporting systems for confidential, name-based HIV reporting have been fully implemented only since April 2008. The CDC advocates that accurate and timely data on the number of persons in the United States living with HIV are needed to guide planning for disease prevention, program evaluation, and resource allocation. In fact, the CDC estimates now that it will take an extra $4.8 billion dollars over the next five years to put a serious dent in the United States HIV incidence rate.

This illustrates the need for HIV testing and the importance of knowing one’s HIV status.

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 10-3-08