Biden states that the HIV / AIDS strategy needs to combat inequality

Washington-President Joe Biden On Wednesday, he announced his new HIV / AIDS strategy, calling for an end to the epidemic over 40 years ago and a new focus on vulnerable Americans, including gay and bisexual black men and Latin men. .. Affected by disproportionateness.

A new strategy to declare racism a “public health threat” was announced annually to commemorate World AIDS Day. It aims to serve as a framework for how governments shape policies, research, programs and plans for the next three years. Year.

However, Biden acknowledged that the country still needs to work to condemn HIV / AIDS, and LGBT and racial minority groups have killed more than 36 million people worldwide, including 700,000 Americans. He said he was “bearing the brunt” of the epidemic.

“I want to make sure that everyone in the United States knows their HIV status, and everyone who is infected with HIV receives the quality care and treatment they deserve and is harmful to HIV and AIDS. End the stigma, “Biden said.

The new strategy argues for generations that “structural inequality has led to serious, widespread and unacceptable racial and ethnic health inequalities.”

New HIV infections in the United States fell by about 8% between 2015 and 2019, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but for black and Latin communities, especially gay and bisexual within these groups. Men continue to be disproportionately affected.

African Americans make up about 13% of the US population, but make up more than 40% of new infectious diseases. The Latino population accounts for almost 25% of new infections, while it accounts for about 18.5% of the US population.

Historically, gay and bisexual men were the most disproportionately affected groups. According to the CDC, it accounts for about 66% of HIV infections, even though it accounts for only 2% of the population. In 2019, 26% of new HIV infections were black gay and bisexual men, 23% were Latin gay and bisexual men, and 45% were gay and bisexual men under the age of 35.

Disparities continue among women. Black women are 11 times more likely to be infected with HIV than white women and 4 times more likely to be Latina women.

Strategies to reduce inequality focus on the needs of people affected by imbalances, support racial justice, combat HIV-related stigma and discrimination, are infected with HIV, or are HIV. Includes providing leadership and employment opportunities to people at risk.

The new strategy not only addresses the impact of racial discrimination on Americans fighting the virus and those at risk of becoming infected with the virus, but also puts more emphasis on harm reduction and syringe service programs to act on HIV-infected persons. Encourage and add focus to reforming state law that criminalizes potential exposure to others on the needs of an aging and growing population of HIV-infected people.

Biden says that some states have laws criminalizing public spitting by HIV-positive people, even though the virus has long been proven not to be transmitted via saliva. Expressed distrust. According to the CDC, 35 states have laws that criminalize various forms of HIV exposure.

“We have to obey science, which means we eliminate laws that perpetuate discrimination, exacerbate inequality, discourage HIV testing, and keep us further away from our goals,” Biden said. Said.

The Biden administration recently announced that it will host a supplementary conference for the World AIDS Tuberculosis Eradication Fund next year. The United States has donated about $ 17 billion to this fund. This is about one-third of the donations of all donors.

To commemorate World AIDS Day, the entrance to the northern portico of the White House was adorned with a giant red ribbon, a symbol of support for people living with HIV. The double-decker ribbon display has been an annual tradition in the White House since 2007.