Notebook
Continued from Page 11
(HIV/AIDS)
Gaps In Care
According to new research, approximately
25 percent of HIV/AIDS patients in the U.S.
fail to remain in care consistently.
The study, published in the journal AIDS, is
among the first in the U.S. to estimate HIV
care retention. It included 17,425 HIV in-
fected adults at 12 U.S. clinics. The study's
author, at the University of Pennsylvania,
says too many people with HIV may be fall-
ing through the cracks by not getting life
saving care and treatment .
A Centers for Disease Control report shows
that only about a quarter of Americans with
HIV actually have their virus under control.
Just 42 percent of patients had "no gap"
in treatment — that is, no more than six
months in between seeing a doctor.
Quality care is known to not only save lives
but decrease health care costs by prevent-
ing unnecessary HIV related illnesses and
hospitalizations.
EVERY 10 MINUTES, SOMEONE IN
THE UNITED STATES CONTRACTS
THE AIDS VIRUS. HALF ARE BLACK.
THIRTY YEARS AFTER THE AIDS VI-
RUS WAS FIRST REPORTED AMONG
GAY WHITE MEN, NEARLY HALF
OF THE 1 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE
UNITED STATES INFECTED WITH
HIV ARE BLACK MEN, WOMEN AND
CHILDREN—EVEN THOUGH BLACKS
MAKE UP JUST 12.6 PERCENT OF THE
POPULATION, PBS REPORTS.
ENDGAME: AIDS IN BLACK AMERI-
CA, AIRING TUESDAY, JULY 10, 2012,
ON OPB (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS),
BY AWARD-WINNING FILMMAKER
RENATA SIMONE TAKES VIEWERS
ON AN UNPRECEDENTED TWO-
HOUR EXPLORATION OF ONE OF
THE COUNTRY’S MOST URGENT,
MOST
PREVENTABLE
HEALTH
CRISIS.
July 2012
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