April 18, 2008

Vol. VII, Number 13

This Week in Washington

1. FAPP Holds Community Forum on HIV/AIDS Surveillance

2. Congressional Staff Request Statements for Abstinence Education Hearing

Announcements

1. Upcoming AETC Workshop, “Psychiatric Management with Patients with HIV/AIDS”

2. Registration Open for AIDSWatch 2008

This Week in Washington

1. FAPP Holds Community Forum on HIV/AIDS Surveillance

On Monday April 14, 2008 The Federal AIDS Policy Partnership (FAPP) convened a community forum on HIV/AIDS Surveillance to discuss the recent release of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) 2006 HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report. The forum consisted of a panel presentation by Nanette Benbow, Epidemiologist, Chicago Department of Public Health; Jennifer Kates, Vice President and Director of HIV Policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation, Walk Senterfitt, Epidemiologist, Los Angeles County Department of Health; and Irene Hall, Chief, HIV Incidence and Case Surveillance Branch, CDC. The panelists explained the significance of and difference between the data cited in the CDC’s “HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report,” specifically the estimated number of HIV/AIDS cases by year of diagnosis and the cases of HIV infection reported in a given year.  The panelists also addressed the difference between the surveillance report’s data and HIV incidence data, noting that HIV incidence data is not included in the surveillance report. A question and answer period followed the expert presentations.

The year of HIV diagnosis does not necessarily represent the year a person was first infected with HIV and there is often a lag between HIV diagnosis and HIV report, the year a provider or laboratory reports the HIV case to a health department. The panelists stressed that it is critical to understand these distinctions when analyzing surveillance data and its policy implications. Until recently, HIV surveillance and reporting has not been standardized nationwide, limiting the precision of CDC’s surveillance data. The complexities of HIV/AIDS surveillance coupled with differences among the states have made it difficult to evaluate changes in the epidemic over time.

All panelists agreed that HIV incidence, the number or proportion of new infections occurring during a specific period of time (usually a year), is a tremendously important piece of surveillance data used to measure trends in HIV infection. HIV incidence is difficult to estimate due to several issues, including the length of time someone may be living with HIV before receiving a test and delays in diagnosis and reporting. The HIV community is awaiting new HIV incidence estimates from the CDC. The CDC has used new and more accurate testing and surveillance technology to estimate HIV incidence, starting with the 2005 incidence number. The figure is pending a peer review process of the new methodology.

All presentations from the community forum on HIV/AIDS surveillance are available online. Please visit www.nastad.org under highlights.

To view the CDC’s 2006 HIV/AIDS Surveillance report, please visit: 2006 HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report.

You can find the CDC’s dear colleague letter accompanying the report at: CDC Dear Colleague Letter.

2. Congressional Staff Request Statements for Abstinence Education Hearing

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, chaired by Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA), has scheduled a hearing for Wednesday, April 23, 2008 titled “Domestic Abstinence-Only Programs: Assessing the Evidence.” This will be the first ever Congressional oversight hearing that will focus on the public health and ethical concerns with domestic abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. AIDS Action staff will attend and report on this long awaited and historic hearing.

There is an opportunity for organizations to submit statements on abstinence-only-until-marriage programming for the Congressional Record. Congressional staff are requesting that statements be submitted before midday, Tuesday April 22^nd. Statements submitted by this deadline may be mentioned by Chairman Waxman during the hearing opening. Statements submitted after Tuesday April 22^nd will still be accepted for the record.

Evidence and experience have shown that abstinence-only-until-marriage programs are not effective in achieving sexual behavior change in young people. We encourage you to submit statements to show our community’s overwhelming support for a shift away from abstinence-only-until-marriage programs towards a comprehensive sexual education approach that supports effective HIV prevention strategies.

Statements should be submitted to Jessica Boyer at Jessica.boyer@mail.house.gov. Statements must not exceed a maximum of ten pages.

Announcements

1. Upcoming Workshop: “Psychiatric Management with Patients with HIV/AIDS”

The American Psychiatric Association, Office of HIV Psychiatry; the Pennsylvania/MidAtlantic AIDS Education and Training Center, and the University Of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry will be holding an educational workshop, “Psychiatric Management with Patients with HIV/AIDS,” on Monday, May 5, 2008 from 1:00-6:00 PM at the Jury’s Hotel in Washington DC.

The workshop, occurring simultaneously with the 2008 American Psychiatric Association Meeting, will bring together leading experts in HIV psychiatry from around the country. The opportunity is available to primary care providers, mental health professionals, substance abuse treatment professionals, HIV clinicians, nurses, case managers, and other members of the HIV treatment team. Topics will include Triple Diagnosis: Substance Use, Mental Health, and HIV; Psychiatric Management of HIV/AIDS, Relationships, Risk Assessment, Testing and Disclosure; and Case Discussion.

To learn more about the program, please visit: http://www.pamaaetc.org/downloads/Save%20the%20DatePGH55.pdf. Register online at http://www.pamaaetc.org/registration.asp?rid=PGH-55 or by phone at 412-624-1895. The Registration deadline is May 1^st. There is no charge for this program. Please pass this announcement on to interested colleagues.

2. Registration Open for AIDSWatch 2008

Registration is now open for AIDSWatch 2008, taking place in Washington DC from April 28-30, 2008. AIDSWatch is a grassroots advocacy program, organized by the National Association of People With AIDS (NAPWA), which brings HIV positive people and their supporters to Washington DC to meet their elected Members of Congress. AIDSWatch participants are given the opportunity to educate their legislators on the need for an improved governmental response to the domestic HIV epidemic. This year’s AIDSWatch will focus on the need for improved treatment accessibility, science and evidence based prevention, and increased appropriations for HIV/AIDS programs.

NAPWA says, "We invite all persons infected and affected by HIV in America to join us in 2008 to allow your voice to be heard in our nation's capital. Please revisit the website frequently for updates about the 2008 program and registration."

To learn more and to register, please visit: http://napwa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=19.

The AIDS Action Weekly Update

The Weekly Update is written with the interests of our members in mind. If you are interested in membership with AIDS Action, we invite you to contact aford@aidsaction.org.

AIDS Action works 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 country, working with and for people living with and affected by HIV.

AIDS Action 1730 M Street, NW Suite 611 Washington, DC 20036 * phone: (202) 530-8030 * fax: (202) 530-8031 www.aidsaction.org