MapHIV.org Shows 18% of Georgia's Counties are Seriously Impacted by HIV

/PRNewswire/ -- The National Minority Quality Forum today launched a groundbreaking HIV/AIDS Atlas (http://www.maphiv.org/) that highlights the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in communities across the United States. The Atlas makes information on HIV/AIDS prevalence rates available in a single location for the first time, painting a comprehensive picture of the varying intensity of the epidemic across the country.

Georgia has 20 counties with AIDS prevalence rates of 0.248 percent or greater, according to the Atlas, and 25 counties with HIV (non-AIDS) prevalence rates of 0.38 percent or greater. These counties are placed in the red or dark red zones depicted on the Atlas, indicating they are among the counties with the highest prevalence rates in the United States.

The HIV/AIDS Atlas is being released in advance of National HIV Testing Day (June 27), to highlight the growing need for increased HIV screening efforts in communities that are suffering disproportionately from the disease. Currently, 20 percent of HIV-positive Americans -- approximately 220,000 individuals -- are unaware of their infection. People with undiagnosed HIV infection are not receiving life-saving therapies, and it is estimated that they may unknowingly transmit up to 70 percent of new infections in the United States.

"We began this project with a desire to fill a fundamental gap in public access to HIV/AIDS information," said Gary Puckrein, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Minority Quality Forum. "Mapping the disease made visible health disparity zones around the country. It is an important step in increasing awareness and stemming the tide of the epidemic. Now that we can see more clearly where the problem is, we can improve data collection and analysis, prevention initiatives, early diagnosis and routine testing efforts in the hardest hit communities."

Highlights from the Atlas include the following:

-- The HIV/AIDS epidemic is concentrated in approximately 20 percent of
American counties (556 counties of the 3,027 counties for which data
were provided to the National Minority Quality Forum).
-- The HIV/AIDS epidemic is widespread among two-thirds of the
predominantly minority counties (comprising African Americans,
Hispanics, Asians and Pacific Islanders) for which data were provided
to National Minority Quality Forum.


Using cutting-edge technology, the National Minority Quality Forum developed the HIV/AIDS Atlas from data provided by HIV/AIDS surveillance branches within state and territorial departments of health in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and New York City. The Atlas presents county-level prevalence rates based on the reported numbers of people living with HIV (non-AIDS) and AIDS in 2006. Users of the Atlas can map available data in multiple ways, including by age, gender and race/ethnicity. They can also view their congressional and state legislative districts overlaid on the county-level HIV/AIDS prevalence maps.

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AHF/Magic Johnson Testing Van Teams with AID Atlanta, Inc. for Free HIV Testing Event Today

On Monday, June 22^nd AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the nation's largest non-profit AIDS organization, will partner with AID Atlanta, Inc. to provide free HIV testing through a mobile HIV testing van in the parking lot of Kroger’s Supermarket, 3030 Headland Drive, Atlanta, GA 30311 from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

In an effort to boost AIDS awareness and HIV prevention and testing efforts in some of the hardest hit regions of the United States, AHF began a three week, fourteen-city cross country HIV testing caravan in one of its popular AHF Mobile HIV Testing Units, which are named in honor of and partnership with HIV positive basketball legend Earvin Magic Johnson, Jr. and actor and AIDS advocate Blair Underwood. The tour kicked-off in Los Angeles on Monday, June 8^th and culminates with the mobile unit's arrival in Washington, DC on Saturday, June 27^th-National HIV Testing Day. AHF is permanently relocating one of the mobile testing units from Los Angeles to D.C., to provide free, easy-to-access rapid HIV testing in various neighborhoods throughout the nation's capital, where it was recently reported that the HIV prevalence rate has surged past 3%-higher than in Lagos, Nigeria.

As AHF staffers and HIV testing counselors drive the van from Los Angeles to Washington through many Southern and Eastern states, AHF's 'whistle stop' testing tour will seek to heighten awareness about HIV testing in local communities along the route.

"While making initial plans to transport our brand new, state-of-the-art AHF/Magic Johnson Mobile Testing Unit from Los Angeles to Washington, DC, we hit upon the idea that this cross country road trip presented a unique opportunity to raise awareness about HIV testing, prevention and treatment through specific testing events and community outreach in cities and states along the way," said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. "As a result, AHF partnered with respected local AIDS and community groups in Phoenix, Albuquerque, Houston, New Orleans, Jackson, Mississippi; Pensacola, Florida; Montgomery, Alabama; Jacksonville, Atlanta, Columbia, South Carolina; Charlotte, Norfolk and Washington, DC to host free HIV testing and media events in each of these communities. At the end of the tour, the AHF/Magic Johnson Mobile Testing Unit will remain and operate in Washington, where AHF will also open a free AIDS treatment clinic-our first in that city-later this summer."

"The beauty of these free mobile HIV testing vans is that AIDS Healthcare Foundation operates them right in the heart of the community-in parking lots of popular retail stores, nearby hip nightclubs and gathering spots, at church events-and they provide the testing, counseling and results all in one session, so people get their test results right away on the same day," said Blair Underwood, who attended the Los Angeles kick-off event. "It is important that people learn how to avoid becoming infected with HIV; or if they are infected, know their HIV status, and seek medical treatment, if needed. People really need to know their HIV status today. These HIV testing vans provide that opportunity for free in a friendly, no hassle way."

HIV Statistics in the United States

“Last August, the Centers for Disease Control released new data showing an alarming 40% increase in HIV infections in the US—56,000 new cases each year up from a previous estimate of 40,000 new cases annually,” said Whitney Engeran-Cordova, Director of AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s Public Health Division. “There is no doubt that the South is disproportionately affected by HIV and without adequate resources. On our trip we want to meet our colleagues in these cities, support agencies in providing testing and do what we can to raise awareness about the genuine need for HIV testing and treatment throughout the region. The number of new infections in the U.S. is absolutely unacceptable. We have a responsibility to do what we must to help those with HIV know their status and get linked into care.”

According to an HIV/AIDS Policy Fact Sheet produced by the Kaiser Family Foundation (“The HIV/AIDS Epidemic in the United States,” updated, February, 2009, with statistics through 2007):

• Ten states account for 71% of AIDS cases reported since the beginning of the epidemic. Nine of these states also rank in the top 10 for newly reported cases. Three of the states that the AHF/Magic Johnson Mobile Testing HIV testing Unit will visit on its tour—Texas, Florida, and Georgia—are among these top ten states; together, they account for 21% of the nation’s reported AIDS cases through the end of 2007—or 216,199 cumulative AIDS cases.

The Kaiser Fact Sheet also pointed out:

• (AIDS) case rates per 100,000 provide a different measure of the epidemic’s impact, since they reflect the concentration of cases after accounting for differences in population size across states. The District of Columbia has the highest AIDS case rate in the nation. Seven of the top 10 states by AIDS case rate are in the South. The AHF/Magic Johnson Mobile HIV Testing Unit tour will travel to and do HIV testing events in five of these Southern states and areas: Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and the District of Columbia.

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Less Than a Year After CDC Announced the U.S. HIV Epidemic Is Much Larger Than Previously Thought, Public's Sense of Urgency Is Down

Less Than a Year After CDC Announced the U.S. HIV Epidemic Is Much Larger Than Previously Thought, Public's Sense of Urgency Is Down, Even Among Some Higher Risk Groups


/PRNewswire/ -- Less than a year after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recalculated the size of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and announced that there were 40 percent more new HIV infections each year than previously believed, a new survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation finds that Americans' sense of urgency about HIV/AIDS as a national health problem has fallen dramatically and their concern about HIV as a personal risk has also declined, even among some groups at higher risk.

Key findings of the survey include:

-- The share of Americans naming HIV/AIDS as the most urgent health
problem facing the nation dropped precipitously from 44 percent in
1995 to 17 percent in 2006 and to six percent now.
-- CDC estimates that HIV rates are seven times higher among African
Americans and three times higher among Latinos compared to whites.
While these groups are more likely than whites to see HIV/AIDS as an
urgent problem, fewer say it is a "more urgent" problem for their
community now than in 2006 (declining from 23% to 17% of all adults,
49% to 40% of African Americans, and 46% to 35% of Latinos).
-- The share of those ages 18-29 who say they are personally very
concerned about becoming infected with HIV declined from 30 percent in
1997 to 17 percent today; personal concern among young African
Americans declined from 54 percent to 40 percent over the same time
period.
-- More than half (53%) of non-elderly adults say they have been tested
for HIV, including 19 percent who say they were tested in the past
year. Testing is most common among adults under the age of 30, with
three in ten young adults and nearly half (47%) of young African
Americans reporting having been tested in the past year. However,
reported testing rates for all these groups have not changed much in
the past decade.


"Many indicators of urgency and concern are moving in the wrong direction, including for higher risk groups," said Kaiser President and CEO Drew Altman. "The survey underscores the need for a new focus on domestic HIV," he added.

At a time when there have been calls for increased attention to the domestic HIV/AIDS crisis including the recent Obama administration announcement of the five year public awareness campaign, Act Against AIDS, the survey also finds public support for more spending.

Half of the public thinks that the federal government is spending too little on domestic HIV/AIDS, while just five percent say it spends too much. More than a third (36%) of Americans say they have personally donated money to an HIV/AIDS-related charity, including nearly half (45%) of African Americans, and there is confidence that new efforts in prevention will make a difference.

While down somewhat from 2006, public support for continued or increased government spending on HIV/AIDS is notable considering the current economic recession and a decline in reported visibility of the domestic epidemic. The share saying they have heard, seen, or read "a lot" or "some" about the problem of HIV/AIDS in the U.S. in the past year declined from 70 percent in 2004 to 45 percent in 2009, and the share that saw "a lot" was cut in half for not only the general public, but also among African Americans and Latinos.

Despite a polarizing debate in recent years about such issues as abstinence and condoms, six in ten Americans believe that spending more money on HIV prevention in the U.S. will lead to meaningful progress, and about half believe the same about spending on treatment.

Some Signs of Progress, But Misconceptions And Stigma Remain

The survey indicates some signs that HIV/AIDS in the U.S. may carry less stigma than in the past. For instance, there has been a slow and steady increase since the late 1990s in the share of people who say they would be very comfortable with a coworker who has HIV/AIDS (44% now, up from 32% in 1997). However, stigmatizing attitudes towards people with HIV have not gone away; fully half (51%) of the public says they would be uncomfortable having their food prepared by someone who is HIV positive.

Misconceptions may be a factor in stigma, and several remain when it comes to correct information about HIV transmission. One-third (34%) of Americans incorrectly believe or are unsure whether HIV can be transmitted by one of the following actions: sharing a drinking glass (27%), touching a toilet seat (17%), or swimming in a pool with an HIV positive person (14%).

Confusion about HIV transmission may contribute to discomfort around those who are HIV positive. People who harbor misconceptions about transmission are more likely to say they would be uncomfortable working with someone with HIV (43% versus 13% who correctly answered questions about transmission) and more likely to be uncomfortable having their food prepared by an HIV positive person (71% compared to 40%).

A significant share of the public also harbors misconceptions about prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS. Nearly one in five (18%) do not know there is no cure for AIDS and about one-quarter (27%) believe or are unsure whether former professional basketball player Magic Johnson has been cured of AIDS. Additionally, a quarter (24%) believe or are unsure whether there is a vaccine available to prevent HIV infection. Many of these misconceptions are more common in the African American community, including that Magic Johnson has been cured (37% of African Americans think he has been cured or are unsure), that there is a vaccine available to prevent infection (36%), and that there are drugs available that can cure HIV and AIDS (30%).

Methodology

The survey was designed and analyzed by public opinion researchers at the Kaiser Family Foundation and was conducted January 26 through March 8, 2009, among a nationally representative random sample of 2,554 adults ages 18 and older. Telephone interviews conducted by landline (N=1,951) and cell phone (N=603, including 214 who had no landline telephone) were carried out in English and Spanish. The survey includes oversamples of African American and Latino respondents as well as respondents ages 18-29. Results for all groups have been weighted to reflect their actual distribution in the nation. The margin of sampling error for the overall survey is plus or minus 3 percentage points, for whites it is plus or minus 4 percentage points, for African Americans it is plus or minus 5 percentage points, and for Latinos it is plus or minus 6 percentage points. For results based on other subgroups, the margin of sampling error may be higher.

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February 7 is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

The Georgia Department of Human Resources Division of Public Health is urging Georgia’s African-American population to get tested for HIV and know their status on February 7: National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD). While they make up only 30 percent of the state’s population, African-Americans accounted for 78 percent of the HIV cases diagnosed and 71 percent of those living with HIV/AIDS in 2007.

“While National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is specific to the African-American community, we encourage each individual who does not know their status to go out and get tested,” said Dr. Sandra Elizabeth Ford, acting director of the Division of Public Health (DPH). “The HIV/AIDS epidemic still remains a crisis for the African-American community, especially in Georgia. However, we can help reduce this burden by promoting the importance of early detection and ensuring that those who are infected get the necessary treatment.”

The African-American population accounts for more than 49 percent of the nation’s AIDS cases but make up only 13 percent of the U.S. population. AIDS is now the leading cause of death for African-American women aged 25 to 34, and the second leading cause of death for African-American men aged 35 to 44. Early testing and diagnosis, as well as disease management, are critical to help reduce the burden HIV/AIDS has on the African-American community.

Individuals should also take precautions to help reduce the transmission of HIV/AIDS. To decrease the chances of becoming infected with the disease, the Division of Public Health recommends the following:

Abstain from sex unless in a relationship with only one person whose HIV status is known to you.
If you have, or plan to have, more than one sex partner, use a latex condom and lubricant every time you have sex.
Do not inject illicit drugs. If you do, use only clean needles and syringes and never share them or use others.
In 2007, DPH received more than $1.9 million from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to increase testing and early diagnosis of HIV among African-Americans. With the CDC’s awards, the agency was able to increase HIV testing and counseling primarily in clinical settings such as emergency rooms and federally qualified health centers. From 2003 to 2008, HIV counseling and testing numbers among Georgians have increased an average of 15 percent per year.

Last year, DPH launched a social marketing campaign called “HERstory” specifically targeting HIV prevention, HIV counseling and testing, and treatment services for African-American women in Georgia. In addition, DPH supports a number of evidence-based, behavioral interventions throughout the state that target other high risk populations, including African-American MSM (men who have sex with men).

For more information about the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS in Georgia, please call (800) 257-9769 or visit online http://health.state.ga.us/epi/hivaids.

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Georgia Ranks Fourth in the Number of Untreated HIV Patients in the United States

/PRNewswire/ -- Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms focusing on pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that despite being the ninth largest state, Georgia ranks fourth in the number of untreated HIV patients in the United States.

"HIV prevalence is linked to ethnic/racial demographics as well as to urban/rural variations -- Georgia's larger than average black population drives Georgia's high prevalence of HIV," stated Jason LaBonte, Ph.D., vice president of new product development at Decision Resources. "Our epidemiologic model predicts that eight out of 1,000 people in Georgia have the disease versus the national average of five out of 1,000."

The new analytics tool entitled PatientFinder: HIV estimates that this high prevalence is compounded by Georgia's lower than average treatment rate for the disease (ranked 28th in the United States) which leaves a large number of HIV patients without drug therapy. Despite the abundance of untreated patients, however, Georgia remains a difficult target for pharmaceutical companies wishing to grow their patient base. Only 82 percent of the state's population has prescription drug insurance, which ranks 37th in the U.S.

Why Pharmaceutical Companies Need this Information

With the type of information included in PatientFinder, pharmaceutical organizations can identify the local markets that offer the greatest opportunity for their branded drug. Companies can identify markets that are underserved and determine if they should increase direct-to-consumer advertising, work with the local managed care organizations to increase awareness of the disease and benefits of their drug or align sales representatives to maximize market potential.

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Researchers Investigate Acceptability of Potential HIV Prevention Device in Africa

For some women in the poorest parts of the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, being paid for sex is one of the few ways they are able to feed themselves and their children. In a region hit hard by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, they are at very high risk for contracting the disease.

Georgia State University researchers recently investigated whether these women, and their male clients, would accept a potential method of preventing HIV/AIDS which allows women to take control of their own health.

The device, an intravaginal ring containing chemicals microbicides, has the potential to let women reduce their risk of contracting the disease in an environment where many of their clients refuse to use condoms.

“This group of women are really stressed, and are often supporting children,” said Donna Smith, a research associate with the Georgia State Institute of Public Health. “These are not women who are making a decent living. They’re just getting by and just one client walking away could be the difference between eating or not.”

Working with colleagues such as Frances Priddy of Emory University, as well as Sabina Wakasiaka and the late Job Joab Bwayo of Kenya AIDS Vaccine Initiative, Smith and data coordinator Tina Hoang asked questions among female sex workers in the Nairobi slum community of Mukuru.

Scientists are working to develop microbicides which reduce the spread of HIV, and several types which could be used by women are in development. None have been found yet which have been proven effective in reducing the transmission of HIV/AIDS, but it is believed that an effective one will be developed in the future before a vaccine becomes available, Smith said.
An intravaginal ring, similar to the NuvaRing used currently for birth control in developed countries, could be used to release the microbicide, allowing women to potentially use the device without their partner becoming aware of it.

In the qualitative study published in the Journal of Women’s Health, some women reported that they were comfortable with the idea of using the ring without letting their partner know, however, some of the male clients insisted on knowing that it was being used — and that if they became aware of the device, they would not pay or would pay less.

Overall, though, those participating in the focus group research, sponsored by the CDC Foundation, were open to the use of the ring.

“This should be your secret,” one woman responded. “You don’t need to tell him. You would be protecting yourself from those who want to infect you.”

Smith and Hoang are also working on a six-month cohort study to track rates of STD infection among sex workers, which will help give future microbicide and vaccine researchers more knowledge about high-risk populations.

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HHS/FDA Grants Tentative Approval for 75th Generic Anti-Retroviral Drug as Part of President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief

The Food and Drug Administration within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has reached the milestone of the 75th anti-retroviral generic drug approved or tentatively approved as part of President Bush’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

Marketed by Macleods Pharmaceuticals, Ltd, of Kachigam, Daman, in the Republic of India, the 75th drug is 150 milligram and 300 milligram tablets of generic lamivudine, a nucleoside analog reverse-transcriptase inhibitor (nRTI), which blocks an enzyme called reverse transcriptase, important to HIV production. HIV-infected patients who take lamivudine with other anti-HIV treatments develop less opportunistic infections.

“HHS/FDA has helped save lives by making high quality, anti-retroviral generic drugs available quickly, at a lower cost, for those most in need under the President’s Emergency Plan," said Commissioner of Food and Drugs Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D. "As we grant tentative approval for the 75th product, our efforts won't stop: we will continue to provide review of applications for safe and effective treatments for AIDS to combat this global concern."

“Tentative approval" means that although existing patents and/or marketing exclusivity prevent the approval of the product in the United States at this time, the product meets all of HHS/FDA's normal requirements for manufacturing quality and clinical safety and efficacy.

HHS/FDA performs all of its reviews of applications received in association with the Emergency Plan on an expedited basis; the agency reviewed this application for lamivudine tablets in less than six months. After receiving approval or tentative approval from HHS/FDA under this expedited process, a generic anti-retroviral passes quickly on to the pre-qualification list maintained by the Secretariat of the World Health Organization (WHO), because of a confidentiality agreement that allows HHS/FDA to share data from its evaluations with the WHO team in Geneva. Generic anti-retrovirals given approval or tentative approval by HHS/FDA are also immediately eligible for procurement by recipients of grants from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

In 2003, President George W. Bush launched his Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief to combat global HIV/AIDS – the largest commitment by any nation to combat a single disease in history. At that time, about 50,000 people in sub-Saharan Africa were receiving anti-retroviral treatment. Today, the Emergency Plan reaches more than 1.7 million worldwide with anti-retroviral treatment, the vast majority of them in sub-Saharan Africa, and supports care for more than 6.6 million people, including 2.7 million orphans and vulnerable children. To date, interventions funded by the Emergency Plan have allowed mothers to give birth to nearly 200,000 HIV-free children.

In 2004, HHS/FDA implemented an expedited process under the Emergency Plan to review individual, generic anti-retroviral (ARV) drug formulations, co-packaged versions of individual ARV drug formulations, and fixed-dose ARV combinations. The expedited process includes a commitment by HHS/FDA and the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator to work closely with manufacturers before they submit a marketing application to HHS/FDA, especially those firms that have never previously submitted to the agency, and to conduct a priority assessment of those applications.

On July 30, 2008, President Bush signed into law the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008, which reauthorized and expanded the Emergency Plan for five additional years, from 2009 through 2013. The legislation authorizes up to $38 billion over five years for bilateral HIV/AIDS programs under the Emergency Plan, activities under the President’s Malaria Initiative, and bilateral U.S. Government international work against tuberculosis, as well as contributions to the Global Fund.

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Verizon Wireless Continues Support of National HIV Testing Awareness Campaign

PRNewswire -- The message about the importance of HIV testing is getting out to the general public, thanks to the innovative use of wireless communications. Verizon Wireless, the company with the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network, announced today its continued effort to draw awareness to the importance of HIV testing and encourage everyone to know their status. In honor of National HIV Testing Day on June 27, an annual event organized by the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA), Personal Public Service Announcements (PPSAs) -- created from "man on the street" interviews captured in Atlanta using wireless video phones and technology -- will be broadcast via a variety of channels on the Web, television and through the Verizon Wireless network.

In partnership with the University of Georgia's New Media Institute and with the support of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Verizon Wireless participated in events in Atlanta and Philadelphia over the past year, making wireless phones a new medium in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The use of the PPSAs created at the Atlanta event for National HIV Testing Day is the culmination of those efforts.

"It's exciting to see how wireless equipment and our network can capture and make available critical health messages to the public at large," said Jeff Mango, president of the Georgia/Alabama region for Verizon Wireless. "Wireless technology no longer is just a one-to-one communication tool. It serves a much broader social networking role in our individual lives and in our communities. It's critical that we all continue to harness the power and reach of wireless technology for the greater good."

In both Philadelphia in 2007 and Atlanta in 2008, public service announcement videos were created by college students and delivered on personal mobile media devices. Using Verizon Wireless phones and data equipment, student teams from Emory University, the University of South Carolina, Clark Atlanta University, Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Temple University, Chapman University, and the University of North Texas collaborated during each event with health experts from the CDC, as well as professional producers and editors from around the country, to shoot, edit, produce, and premiere short video PPSAs encouraging HIV testing. These PPSAs will be distributed ahead of June 27 to increase the awareness of the upcoming National HIV Testing Day.

The videos will be distributed in a variety of ways including e-cards, podcasting on key Internet sites, e-mail distribution, YouTube, MySpace, Verizon Wireless' V CAST network, Verizon Communications FiOS network, and more.

"Delivering health messages to young people today can be frustrating," said Dr. Scott Shamp, director of the New Media Institute and professor of telecommunications at UGA's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. "A whole generation isn't using their parents' media, so we have to find new ways to reach them. Mobile media has powerful potential for reaching young people with information to help them stay healthy and protect others."

National HIV Testing Day is an opportunity for people nationwide to learn their HIV status and to gain knowledge to take control of their health and their lives. According to the CDC, more than a quarter million people are estimated to be living with HIV and are unaware of their infection. Often those infected exhibit no visible symptoms and are more likely to pass the virus to others. Knowing infection status can lengthen life expectancy dramatically as patients are able to start treatment earlier.