CDC's New "HIV Treatment Works" Supports National Efforts to Improve Outcomes Along the HIV Care Continuum

New treatment campaign

Earlier this week, I had the privilege of participating in the launch of HIV Treatment Works, CDC's first national communication campaign focused exclusively on encouraging treatment and care for people living with HIV. The campaign features people living with HIV talking about how sticking with care and treatment helps them stay healthy and protect others.

BTAN to Meet Prior to USCA

Black Treatment Advocates Network

Tomorrow, Wednesday, October 1st, The Black AIDS Institute will convene an all-day National Black Treatment Advocates Network (BTAN) meeting on the day before the kickoff of the United States Conference on AIDS (USCA). This will be an opportunity to find out about BTAN and why there should be a BTAN chapter in your city.

In This Issue

Thursday, September 18th, was National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day. So this week we lead off with an essay by Black AIDS Institute board chair emeritus Jesse Milan on the challenges of aging with HIV/AIDS.

Aging Successfully With HIV/AIDS

Jesse Milan

I have been living with HIV for 32 years. I was infected in my 20s. I'm aging with HIV. I am not alone.

One-third of the 1.1 million Americans living with HIV are 50 or older. Since amazing treatments have resulted in longer survival, soon 50 percent of all Americans with HIV will be 50-plus. Already in Maryland, where I live, 40 percent of PLWHA are now over age 50, and another 18 percent are 45-49. This is great news for anyone who remembers the terrible news reports about the deaths of young men from AIDS during the 1980s. But it is not the entire story: Aging healthy starts with knowledge. Nationally, 24 percent of Americans diagnosed with AIDS are 50 and over. Many of those are late diagnoses of people who did not even know they had HIV.

Q&A: Greg Millett, Vice President and Director of Public Policy at amfAR

Greg Millett

Recently Greg Millett left the federal government to work for amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research. Here's what he has to say about the U.S. epidemic now that he's no longer constrained by government directives.