Minorities,
young
people,
women
and
gay
men
continue
to
be
in
the
eye
of
the
storm
as
the
AIDS
epidemic
approaches
its
third
devastating
decade.
This
was
the
prevailing
thought
among
most
of
the
4,000
attendees
at
the
12th
annual
U.S.
Conference
on
AIDS
held
in
Fort
Lauderdale
last
week.
In
the
four-day
spree
of
panels
and
workshops,
dinners
and
cocktail
parties,
HIV/AIDS
advocates
spoke
about
strategies
in
battling
the
increase
in
HIV
infection
rates
in
the
US,
including
the
need
to
establish
a
comprehensive
national
AIDS
strategy.
“It
makes
a
whole
lot
of
sense,”
said
Tom
Liberti,
chief
of
the
Florida
Department
of
Health
Bureau
on
HIV/AIDS.
“If
we
require
other
countries
to
have
one,
we
should
have
one
too.”
According
to
CDC
reports,
an
estimated
56,000
people
contract
HIV
each
year,
with
a
majority
of
new
infections
among
men
who
have
sex
with
men,
especially
young
men
who
engage
in
“high
risk
behaviors.”
“The
need
for
open
and
honest
dialogue
about
the
impact
of
HIV/AIDS
on
gay
men
and
MSM
has
never
been
more
pressing,”
said
Paul
Kawata,
executive
director
of
the
National
Minority
AIDS
Council,
sponsor
of
the
four-day
event
that
took
place
in
Fort
Lauderdale
last
week.
“The
rates
of
HIV/AIDS
are
rising
especially
among
gay
men
and
MSM
of
color.”
Kawata
read
a
statement
Republican
presidential
candidate
John
McCain
during
the
closing
reception.
A
statement
by
Democratic
presidential
nominee
Barack
Obama
was
also
read
on
Saturday.
McCain
pledged
to
bring
together
non-profit
and
government
agencies
to
“promote
prevention
efforts,
encourage
testing,
targeting
communities
with
high
infection
rates.”
Obama,
meanwhile,
committed
to
developing
a
comprehensive
national
AIDS
strategy,
as
well
as
fight
the
“stigma
that
is
too
often
tied
to
homophobia”
that
surrounds
the
disease.
Advocates
and
medical
professionals
also
addressed
HIV
rates
and
risks
among
women
of
color,
and
alarming
trends
associated
with
the
former
inmates
who
leave
prison
newly
infected.
Transmission
among
transgender
populations,
and
among
people
aged
50
and
older,
continue
to
show
rising
infection
rates
as
well.
On
the
treatment
front,
medical
professionals
led
seminars
about
managing
escalating
health
care
costs
and
patient
loads,
while
dealing
with
no
federal
funding
increases
for
the
last
eight
years.
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Time to deliver in AIDS fight
On eve of annual AIDS conference, the U.S. is losing its authority as a voice in stopping the disease.On eve of annual AIDS conference, the U.S. is losing its authority as a voice in stopping the disease.
