HIV/AIDS in CALIFORNIA
KNOW YOUR STATUS. TEST FOR LIFE.

HIV/AIDS: The Realities

In the United States an estimated 1.2 million people are now living with HIV/AIDS, and about 40,000 new infections occur each year. One quarter of HIV-positive Americans are unaware they are infected. According to CDC, individuals with undiagnosed HIV are believed to transmit 50 - 70 percent of new HIV infections in the United States.

Early Diagnosis thru Routine Testing

In September 2006, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released revised recommendations for HIV screening, calling for voluntary opt-out HIV screening as part of routine medical care for all persons aged 13 to 64. Routine HIV screening is intended to lead to earlier diagnosis of HIV-infected individuals and help patients to access proper care and treatment earlier in the course of the disease, when it has a better chance of being effective.

An Overview of HIV/AIDS in the United States

• 1.2 million people in the U.S are living with HIV/AIDS and a quarter of those people are unaware of their infection.
• The number of HIV-infected women (more than 300,000) has tripled in the past decade.
• An estimated 70 percent of new HIV diagnoses occur among racial/ethnic minorities.
• African Americans account for 49 percent of new HIV/AIDS diagnoses in the U.S.
• In 2002, HIV/AIDS was the leading cause of death for African American women aged 25-34.
• 1 in 5 people living with HIV/AIDS are Latino.
• In 2005, the rate of HIV diagnoses was eight times higher for African Americans than for whites and 3.5 times higher for Latinos than for whites.
  

An Overview of HIV/AIDS in California

• Nearly 40,000 Californians do not know they are HIV-positive.
• HIV/AIDS has claimed the lives of more than 82,000 Californians in the past 25 years.
• African Americans represent less than 7 percent of California’s population, yet account for 18 percent of California AIDS cases.
• African American women account for 37 percent of reported HIV infections among all women in California.
• Latinos account for 23 percent of all AIDS cases and 25 percent of all reported HIV cases.
• Each year in the last decade, the share of AIDS cases represented by Latinos has increased.
• California Latinos have been significantly younger at the time of AIDS diagnosis than other racial/ethnic groups.
• o 30 percent of Latina women and 23 percent of Latino men were younger than 30 when diagnosed with AIDS.
• Latinas represent 29 percent of reported HIV infections among women.

Test for Life California

Test for Life California believes that everyone should be aware of their HIV status and that HIV screening should be expanded and included as part of routine medical care in all healthcare settings. Knowledge of one’s HIV status is a critical first step towards getting the proper care and treatment to stay healthy and will help to limit the spread of HIV in California and across the country.

Why is Routine Testing Needed in California?

• Across the country people with HIV are diagnosed late in their illness; in 2004, 40 percent received an AIDS diagnosis within one year of testing HIV positive.
• Prompt diagnosis improves survival. A young person diagnosed with HIV today can expect to live on average 3 decades or more if they receive early care and treatment.
• Initiating treatment once someone has advanced to AIDS is three times more expensive to treat and treatment has a lesser chance of being effective than for those patients who are treated earlier.
• CDC notes that HIV infections could be reduced by 20-30 percent per year if all HIV infected persons knew of their infection and adopted behavioral changes to limit the spread of the disease.

Testing 101:

Question: Where can I get tested for HIV infection?
Answer: Many places offer HIV screening including local health departments, private doctors’ offices, hospitals and sites set up specifically to provide HIV testing. To find a location near you, please call your local health department or visit: www.hivtest.org

Question: Is it easy to be tested for HIV?
Answer: Yes. Screening is fast and painless and new technologies allow for preliminary results in as little as 10 minutes, with or without a blood sample.

Question: How do I know if I’m infected?
Answer: Taking an HIV-antibody test is the only way to tell if you are infected. You cannot tell by looking at someone if he or she carries HIV. Someone can look and feel perfectly healthy and still be infected. In fact, one-quarter of American’s infected with HIV do not know it. This is why it is important to get tested.

Question: What if I test positive for HIV?
Answer: If you test positive you should see a medical professional to discuss treatment options. Proper care and treatment can help you stay well.

Where Can I Get Additional Information?

HIV Testing Resource – Where to Get Tested:
www.hivtest.org/

California Department of Health Services – Office of AIDS:
http://www.dhs.ca.gov/AIDS/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – HIV Testing in Healthcare Settings:
www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/testing/

Kaiser Family Foundation – HIV/AIDS
www.kff.org/hivaids/

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – HIV/AIDS Treatment, Prevention, and Research
www.aidsinfo.nih.gov/

About Test for Life:

Test for Life began in 2006 as an educational campaign of the National Minority Quality Forum, designed to raise awareness of the importance of routine HIV screening in preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS. The Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Revised Recommendations for HIV Testing are essential to improving early diagnosis of HIV and linking patients to early care and treatment of the disease. To join the Test for Life California coalition, please visit our website: www.testforlife.org/California.