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December 1, 2010 |
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This publication is your
opportunity to receive regular updates on
the work and the issues that I have been
involved with, both in Harrisburg and
throughout our community.
Please visit my
Website, where you will
find a comprehensive overview of our work,
various phone numbers and contact
information to assist you in solving
problems, opportunities to volunteer and
assist us in our programs and opportunities
to
give your feedback.
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World Aids Day Raises Awareness,
Stresses Prevention
The
Center for Disease Control and
Prevention estimates that 1.1 million
Americans are living with HIV.
Twenty-one percent of those infected are
unaware that they’ve contracted the
disease.
Today marks the 22nd anniversary of
World AIDS Day; a day set aside to raise
awareness and remember those that have
fallen victim to this deadly infection.
This year’s theme for
World AIDS Day theme is 'Universal
Access and Human Rights'. Today is a
day to take action and ensure that human
rights are protected and global targets
for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and
care are met.
It is a sobering reality that, while we
have come an extraordinarily long way in
the fight to eradicate HIV/AIDS, there
are still thousands of men and women
infected and dying each year. There too
many good people dying from this
infection and we need to put an end to
it.
Throughout the United States, HIV/AIDS
is growing dramatically in communities
of color. In Philadelphia two-thirds of
all new infections are in
African-American women.
It
has been 28 years since HIV/AIDS was
first diagnosed and it continues to
wreak havoc around the world.
The Joint United Nations Programme on
HIV/AIDS estimates that there are
now 33.3 million people living with HIV
around the globe, including 2.5 million
children.
It is also estimated that during 2009,
2.6 million people became newly infected
with the virus and an estimated 1.8
million people died from AIDS.
While this paints a morose picture,
other studies and reports show a glimmer
of hope.
The
World Health Organization reported
that the number of HIV-positive people
receiving antiretroviral drugs for their
infections jumped by more than a quarter
in 2009, growing from 4 million to 5.2
million.
Along with my wife Sheryl Lee Ralph, I
have worked diligently over the years to
raise awareness and increase the
resources to stave off this deadly
infection.
In the General Assembly in Harrisburg, I
have worked tirelessly to promote
HIV/AIDS awareness over the past five
years, fighting for state dollars for
HIV/AIDS prevention, testing and
education.
During this period of time, Pennsylvania
also spearheaded a new and innovative
approach to testing; moving the format
from a one week test-to-result period to
a rapid test program where those tested
can receive their results in a 30 minute
period.
|
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Senator Hughes
demonstrates how
fast and easy it is to
take the self test.
Know in less than 40
minutes!!!
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The medical community has made so many
great strides over the years in
treatment of this infection that being
diagnosed with HIV/AIDS is no longer a
death sentence.
While there is not a cure, many people
are living normal, long lives after
diagnosis. But I cannot stress enough
the importance of testing and awareness
because if you do not find out if you
are infected, the consequences could be
grave.
I encourage you to do yourself a favor
on World AIDS Day, get tested and find
out your own status. It is simple to do,
go to
www.testtogether.org and enter your
zip code to get linked to test sites in
your area. Just the simple act of
finding out your status is half the
battle.
It is important that on World AIDS Day,
we remember that the HIV/AIDS pandemic
has not gone away. We may have slowed
the spread and consequences through
science and medicine, but this rarely
discussed infection is not extinct.
Until the day comes where all HIV/AIDS
cases have been dismissed, it is our
duty to continue this fight in
Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Washington and
everywhere else around the world.
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention
Phone: 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636)
TTY: 1-888-232-6348
In English, en Espaņol
24 Hours/Day
Official Website:
www.cdc.gov
Get answers to your questions regarding
HIV/AIDS and how to protect yourself.
AIDS.gov
Official Website:
www.aids.gov
Get one-stop access to U.S. Government
HIV/AIDS information.
National HIV Testing Resources
Official Website:
www.hivtest.org
Locate an HIV testing site in your
community.
CDC National Prevention
Information Network ((NPIN)
P.O. Box 6003 | Rockville, MD 20849-6003
Phone: 1-800-458-5231 | International
Phone: 1-919-361-4892
TTY: 1-800-243-7012 | International TTY:
1-919-361-4884
FAX: 1-888-282-7681 In English, en
Espaņol
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to
8 p.m. Eastern Time
Official Website:
www.cdcnpin.org | Email:
info@cdcnpin.org
Receive technical assistance and
publication distribution for
organizations and professionals working
in HIV/AIDS, STD, and TB prevention.
CDC Business and Labor Resource
Service
P.O. Box 6003 | Rockville, MD 20849-6003
Phone: 1-877-242-9760 | International
Phone: 1-301-562-1098
TTY: 1-800-243-7012 | FAX:
1-888-282-7681
International FAX: 1-301-562-1050 In
English, en Espaņol
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to
6 p.m. Eastern Time
Official Website:
www.hivatwork.org | Email:
info@hivatwork.org
Learn about HIV/AIDS in the workplace
and locate resources that assist in
developing workplace policies and
training.
AIDSinfo
P.O. Box 6303 | Rockville, MD 20849-6303
Phone: 1-800-HIV-0440 (448-0440) |
International Phone: 1-301-519-0459
TTY: 1-888-480-3739 | FAX:
1-301-519-6616 In English, en Espaņol
Hours: Monday through Friday, 12 p.m. to
5 p.m. Eastern Time
Official Website:
www.aidsinfo.nih.gov | Email:ContactUs@aidsinfo.nih.gov
Get the latest federally approved
information on HIV/AIDS clinical
research, treatment, and medical
practice guidelines.
Offices of State
Senator Vincent Hughess
www.senatorhughes.com
