Background
More than 25 years after the first report of a handful of cases of a nameless deadly disease among gay men in Los Angeles, there are more than 1 million persons living with HIV in the United States; about one-fifth of those with HIV have not yet been diagnosed and are unaware of their infection. The "new" syndrome identified over 25 years ago has become one of the deadliest epidemics in human history, killing more than 25 million people around the world, including more than 500,000 Americans. In the last decade, major advances in prevention and treatment for HIV/AIDS have prolonged and improved the lives of many, but despite this, the epidemic is far from over.
The simple fact is this: to defeat HIV and AIDS, we need to reduce the number of people who become infected. Throughout the epidemic, prevention has remained the most effective defense against HIV/AIDS. A comprehensive approach must be used to prevent the further spread of HIV infection. Comprehensive HIV prevention strategies include monitoring the epidemic to target prevention and care activities; determining the effectiveness of prevention methods; diffusing proven effective interventions; implementing and evaluating prevention efforts in high-risk communities; encouraging early diagnosis of HIV infection; continuing basic behavioral and prevention research to identify new effective prevention interventions; and fostering linkages between prevention and treatment programs. Many governmental and non-governmental organizations at all levels collaborate to implement, evaluate, disseminate, and further develop and strengthen effective HIV prevention efforts nationwide.
This unique conference covers the entire spectrum of HIV prevention, from science to programs. It convenes HIV prevention experts and advocates from various backgrounds and communities nationwide.
Conference Purpose
Numerous governmental and non-governmental organizations have committed their support to the 2009 National HIV Prevention Conference because it offers opportunities to:
- Share effective prevention approaches and research findings among governmental, community, and academic partners in HIV prevention.
- Strengthen collaborations between program practitioners and researchers in areas including behavioral interventions, biomedical interventions, monitoring the epidemic, implementing rapid and reliable tests for early HIV diagnosis, and improving access to early treatment and prevention services for persons with HIV.
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