PRINTER'S NO. 932
No. 134 Session of 2005
INTRODUCED BY C. WILLIAMS, KITCHEN, FERLO, ORIE, LAVALLE, TARTAGLIONE, LEMMOND, D. WHITE, BROWNE, ERICKSON, HUGHES, MELLOW, WASHINGTON, FONTANA, COSTA, WOZNIAK AND LOGAN, JUNE 14, 2005
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, JUNE 14, 2005
A RESOLUTION 1 Recognizing June 27, 2005, as "National HIV Testing Day." 2 WHEREAS, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 3 estimates that 850,000 to 950,000 Americans are living with 4 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), including more than 300,000 5 living with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS); and 6 WHEREAS, The proportion of all AIDS cases reported among 7 adolescent and adult women in the United States has more than 8 tripled since 1986; and 9 WHEREAS, In 2003 women accounted for 26% of reported AIDs 10 cases: African-American women comprised 63% of those cases, and 11 Latin-American women comprised 18% of those cases; and 12 WHEREAS, In the United States, AIDS is the fourth leading 13 cause of death among women between the ages of 25 and 44 and the 14 leading cause of death among African-American women ages 25 to 15 34; and 16 WHEREAS, At least half of the people becoming infected with
1 HIV each year are under the age of 25; and 2 WHEREAS, Timely administration of antiretroviral drugs during 3 pregnancy can reduce the risk of mother-to-child HIV 4 transmission from 25% to less than 2% and also improves the 5 health of the mother; and 6 WHEREAS, African Americans are the group most affected by 7 HIV/AIDS; and 8 WHEREAS, Although African Americans represented 13% of the 9 population in 2003, they represented 40% of the total AIDS cases 10 and half of all newly diagnosed HIV/AIDS cases; and 11 WHEREAS, Latin Americans make up only about 14% of the 12 population of the United States and Puerto Rico, but as of 2003 13 they represented 20% of new AIDS diagnoses; and 14 WHEREAS, In 2003 gay and bisexual men accounted for an 15 estimated 57% of AIDS cases among men; and 16 WHEREAS, Pennsylvania has the sixth highest number of 17 reported AIDS cases; and 18 WHEREAS, An estimated one-third of persons who are HIV 19 positive do not know they are infected; and 20 WHEREAS, There are a variety of HIV tests available, 21 including tests using urine or oral fluid samples instead of 22 blood samples for anyone reluctant to have blood drawn; and 23 WHEREAS, Many places offer HIV testing, including local 24 health departments, doctors' offices, hospitals and sites set up 25 specifically to provide HIV screening; and 26 WHEREAS, CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) or www.hivtest.org provide 27 information about testing and local testing sites; and 28 WHEREAS, HIV/AIDS continues to affect growing numbers of 29 individuals and communities across this Commonwealth; therefore 30 be it 20050S0134R0932 - 2 -
1 RESOLVED, That the Senate recognize June 27, 2005, as 2 "National HIV Testing Day" and encourage the citizens of 3 Pennsylvania to take control of their health by getting tested 4 for HIV. F2L82AJM/20050S0134R0932 - 3 -