September 21, 2010

NIH Statement on National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

From Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., NIAID Director, on September 27, 2010

The third annual National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on Sept. 27, 2010, marks an occasion to reflect on how profoundly HIV/AIDS has affected gay and bisexual men. It also is a fitting time to recognize how much this group has influenced the development and implementation of strategies to prevent and treat the virus and the disease.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to exact a terrible toll on gay and bisexual men. In the United States it is estimated that since AIDS was first recognized in 1981, more than half a million gay and bisexual men have been diagnosed with the disease and more than 300,000 have died. Stigma and fear hamper efforts to make HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment accessible to all gay and bisexual men who would benefit from them, both in the United States and abroad. Yet many gay and bisexual men have been instrumental as AIDS activists in raising awareness about the public health impact of HIV/AIDS, shaping the HIV/AIDS research agenda and advocating that this research is well funded. In addition, gay and bisexual men catalyzed the movement to bring treatment and care to people with HIV/AIDS and to promote HIV prevention. Tens of thousands of gay and bisexual men have participated as volunteers in HIV/AIDS research, including several large studies in progress that are funded by NIAID.

To read the full statement, go to http://www.niaid.nih.gov/news/newsreleases/2010/Pages/GayMenAIDSAwareness.aspx.

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Source: Received via email

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