New Priorities for HIV/AIDS Prevention
Obama Administration Reveals New Priorities for HIV/AIDS Prevention
Tuesday, the President unveiled a nationwide approach to fight HIV/AIDS in America. The proposal would create a uniform strategy coordinating federal, state and community efforts.
According to the report,
“The United States currently provides more than $19 billion in annual funding for domestic HIV prevention, care, and research, and there are constraints on the magnitude of any potential new investments in the Federal budget “
The new policy recognizes the priority of abstinence to reducing the transmission of HIV as : “ scientifically proven biomedical and behavioral [approach] that reduce the probability of HIV transmission:
••Abstinence from sex or drug use: Abstaining from sexual activity and substance use reduces the risk of HIV infection. In cases where this may not be possible, limiting the number of partners and taking other steps can lower the risk of acquiring HIV.”
The plan, however, does not detail how risk avoidance will be a meaningful part of the implementation effort.