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AIDS Action Council Vows to Work with
Congress
Toward Passing Stop AIDS in Prison Act of
2007
WASHINGTON, May 22, 2007 – AIDS
Action Council underscored its support of the Stop AIDS in Prison Act of 2007
today at a hearing of the Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security Subcommittee
of the House Judiciary Committee. The bill filed by Rep. Maxine Waters
(D-CA) in April would provide routine non-mandatory
(opt out) HIV counseling and testing at entry and release from federal prisons
and allow inmates to request an HIV
test while ensuring that they would not be penalized by prison officials for making that request. AIDS Action vowed to work with Congress
toward passage of the bill on behalf of its diverse nationwide membership of
community-based HIV/AIDS service providers and public health departments.
The rate
of confirmed AIDS cases is three times higher among prison inmates than in the U.S. general population, according
to the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin most
recently revised on March 1,
2007, including data through 2004, the most recently compiled data.
“This important bill
recognizes and addresses the HIV epidemic within federal prisons and the public
health threat it poses to our nation,” said Rebecca
Haag, Executive Director, AIDS Action Council. “This bill, which seeks to stop the spread of
HIV in prisons and the community through counseling, testing and treatment of
inmates, is an essential piece of
legislation. It will help prevent new infections as well as ensure treatment
for a large number of people currently living with HIV by protecting prisoners’
rights and ensuring that best practices in HIV testing and treatment are
followed,” she added.
AIDS
Action commits to maintain its work
with legislators to prioritize the needs of people living with HIV by making life-saving drugs, medical treatment, and
essential support services available to all who are HIV infected, and to
highlight the importance of HIV prevention. More than 250,000 people in the
U.S. know they are infected with HIV but do not have access to HIV care, and an
additional 250,000 – 300,000 people in the U.S. are infected with HIV but are
unaware of their positive status.
“As many
as 1.2 million people are living with HIV/AIDS in the United States; we can best help
them by making sure they receive
quality care and treatment, including people who are incarcerated,” Haag said.
AIDS Action strives to end the HIV epidemic by advancing public
policies that prevent new infections, provide care for people living with HIV,
and support the search for a cure. AIDS Action
serves as the national voice for AIDS service organizations, health
departments, and a diverse network of community-based organizations across the U.S.
that provides services for people living with or affected by HIV infection.
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