The third decade of the HIV/AIDS epidemic is a time to reflect on
the successes of HIV/AIDS prevention—and there are many—and
to plan for the future. Studies performed by CDC and others have
scientifically proven that HIV/AIDS prevention interventions can
protect people by helping them reduce the behaviors that put them
at risk for HIV infection. These effective interventions are being
disseminated through CDC’s programs, and many people have
avoided HIV infection as a result of prevention efforts. Despite the availability of effective prevention interventions, CDC estimates that
40,000 people—too many—become infected with HIV each year in the United
States. Although this estimate has remained the same for the past decade, the
epidemic has not. Advances in treatment are helping more and more HIV-infected
people live healthier and longer lives. And with more people living with HIV than
ever before, it is increasingly important that people know their HIV status so
they can receive treatment for themselves and avoid transmitting their infection
to others. Even the treatments themselves pose challenges, as they potentially
encourage an attitude of complacency. And each new generation of young people
presents an audience in need of new or reinforced HIV/AIDS prevention messages.
We hope that this booklet helps you better appreciate the HIV/AIDS prevention
challenges of the third decade and CDC’s efforts to meet them. Its primary focus
is the epidemic in the United States and the work of CDC’s Divisions of HIV/AIDS
Prevention. Coverage of all HIV/AIDS prevention work at CDC would be too
extensive for this booklet.
We begin in the past, with a brief history of accomplishments since 1981. Then we
focus on the present: the current status of the epidemic in the United States and
CDC’s responses.
We conclude by looking into the future. CDC’s HIV Prevention Strategic Plan is
the overarching force behind our approach to the third decade of HIV prevention.
Advancing HIV Prevention: New Strategies for a Changing Epidemic is a new
initiative specifically intended to reduce barriers to early diagnosis of HIV infection
and increase access to quality medical care, treatment, and ongoing prevention
services for people who are living with HIV. Finally, CDC continues to review and improve its surveillance, research, and prevention programs to have a greater
impact on the HIV epidemic. For example, CDC will be revising its guidance to
better facilitate HIV screening in health care settings. It is also conducting state of-
the-art prevention trials, using antiretroviral drugs to develop new methods
to prevent transmission of HIV. Throughout the third decade of the HIV/AIDS
epidemic, CDC will continue to adapt to changing trends to prevent new HIV
infections and improve the quality of life for those living with HIV.
Robert S. Janssen, MD
Director, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention–Surveillance and Epidemiology
Acting Director, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention–Intervention Research and
Support
National Center for HIV, STD, and Tb Prevention
Coordinating Center for Infectious Diseases
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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