This bold plan contains 4 important areas of emphasis.
Diagnose – Great strides have been made in HIV prevention, but about 1 in 7 (14%) of the estimated more than 1 million people with HIV in America still don’t know they have HIV! Community based HIV testing is critical.
Treat – Current HIV treatment guidelines recommend all people with HIV begin treatment as soon as possible after receiving a diagnosis. People who have HIV and who take medication daily as prescribed and maintain an undetectable viral load can live long, healthy lives and have effectively no risk of sexually transmitting the virus to an HIV-negative partner.
Prevent – New HIV transmissions can be prevented by using proven interventions, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and syringe services programs (SSPs). PrEP https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/risk/prep/index.html is a pill that reduces the risk of getting HIV when taken as prescribed. Fewer than 25%of the estimated more than 1 million Americans who could benefit from PrEP are using this prevention medication.
Respond- Our communities must respond so that those in need can get the care they need – testing, linkage-to-care, and prevention. It takes a village.