| 2004 NYS Legislative Agenda
Health, Equality, Pride.
Priority: To prevent
the transmission of HIV
 In the absence of a cure or preventive vaccine for AIDS, our best
hope of stemming the epidemic lies in preventing new HIV
infections. GMHC urges creation of programs that effectively
stop the spread of HIV and continued support of programs that have
proven to work.
For the first time in almost a decade, preliminary data suggests
that there is an increase in new HIV infections in the United
States, particularly in men who have sex with men. At the
same time, the CDC has shifted a majority of funding away from primary
prevention methods and toward secondary prevention (prevention for
those already HIV+) leaving behind thousands of New Yorkers at risk
of getting HIV. The state must step up to the plate, and ensure
the continuation of vital community-based prevention education and
counseling to New Yorkers in communities hardest hit by this disease.
GMHC
urges $3.5 million in new state funding for primary prevention,
which should be targeted to those most at risk for HIV infection:
Men who have Sex with Men, particularly young men of color; women,
particularly women of color; substance users and prison releasees.
GMHC supports the AIDS Advisory Council's recommendations to ensure
continued success of the Expanded Syringe Access
Program, which has been an effective public health initiative. Injection
Drug Use (IDU) is associated with more than 50% of newly diagnosed
AIDS cases in New York. Harm reduction programs have been shown
to dramatically reduce new IDU-related HIV infections. GMHC urges
the state to continue to show its commitment to harm reduction programs
and put additional resources toward new syringe exchange
programs as well as harm reduction programs serving high-risk
non-injecting substance users. GMHC urges the allocation of $1
million in new funding for harm reduction programs.
GMHC will continue to encourage NYS DOH to break out newly
collected HIV surveillance data. In order for this information
to inform our prevention work and facilitate the effective use of
funds, the data must be released more quickly,
include transmission information and spell out trends. This will
help ensure the most valuable and updated prevention strategies
can be developed.
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© 2004 Gay Men's Health Crisis
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