Have you heard about the "new" CDC surveillance system used for tracking new HIV infections? Did you notice that the infection rate is considerably higher than originally reported?

Our Bodies, Our Blog has an overview of the CDC's revised HIV infection estimates.

“Using the new surveillance system, CDC estimates that 56,300 new HIV infections occurred in the United States in 2006. CDC previously estimated that approximately 40,000 new HIV infections occurred annually since the 1990s. The 2006 incidence estimate is about 40% higher than the previous estimates. The new system reveals that the epidemic is—and has been—worse than previously estimated and underscores the need to expand HIV prevention to reach those at greatest risk.”

Read Chairman Waxman's statement on the new CDC HIV Incidence numbers:

There are proven measures that change people’s behavior and reduce HIV transmission. As the total number of people with HIV in the United States has risen, so has the need for these programs.

But unbelievably, in recent years the HIV prevention budget has gone down. Since fiscal year 2002, when adjusted for inflation, CDC’s prevention budget has actually shrunk by 19%. The President has recently requested decreases in funding for HIV prevention at CDC.

So the rate of HIV infection has increased, HIV prevention education works, but we're cutting funding for HIV prevention education. Why is that?

Bill Clinton, speaking at the International AIDS Conference in Mexico City says the revised numbers should be a wake up call, and we should do more "at home". (On Monday, BlogHer member, Tamsin Smith, blogged about the International AIDS Conference.)

Black U.S. AIDS rate rivals some African nations:

• AIDS remains the leading cause of death among black women between ages 25 and 34. It's the second-leading cause of death in black men 35-44

• In Washington, more than 80 percent of HIV cases are among black people, that's one in 20 residents.

And, what about the Hispanic community? Daisy Sarma indicates the CDC's numbers are still inaccurate because they exclude Puerto Rican Hispanics.

The newest CDC report on the prevalence of HIV in the United States is a misrepresentation of the actual numbers as it does not take into account the Puerto Ricans when tackling the issue of AIDS occurrence among the Hispanics in America. This is a direct reversal of a CDC decision taken in January this year to include Puerto Rican Hispanics.

The non-inclusion of the Puerto Ricans in the latest CDC report, Estimation of HIV Incidence in the United States, has had a direct impact not just on the number of cases reported but also on another critical area in the battle against AIDS – fund and resource allocation.

AIDS is NOT a "Black Disease"...

I admire what they are attempting to accomplish, but labeling AIDS as a "Black disease" is WRONG and short-sighted. Your temporary headlines on CNN and a possible up tick in funding are nothing compared to the damage that will likely follow if people are able to write off AIDS as a problem for "that other group of people" I thought we already fought this battle. Anybody can contract this disease.

I agree with her entire post, you should go and read the whole thing. AIDS isn't a "black disease". It isn't a "hispanic disease" or even a "gay disease". Labeling it with any sort of "minority" label is only going to get us more of the same - more minorities, more marginalized, more poor people contracting HIV and dying from AIDS or AIDS related complications.

I'm afraid that until someone comes along with numbers that say "AIDS is a white middle class disease" we're never going to get the education and prevention programs that we need.

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