AIDS Project Los Angeles Calls for New Funding in Wake of Today's CDC Report on Disproportionate HIV Rates Among Gay Men

Los Angeles, Calif., March 11, 2010 - AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) today called for dramatic increases in HIV/AIDS prevention funding at both the state and federal levels, following a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showing HIV infection rates among gay and bisexual men 44 times greater than those among heterosexual men.

"The CDC's grim report tells us that we have a public health emergency among gay men," said APLA Executive Director Craig E. Thompson. "Yet prevention funding has been reduced at the federal level over the past 10 years and entirely eliminated by the state."

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger cut all state general funds support -- some $24.6 million -- for HIV/AIDS prevention education in 2009. Federal funding for domestic HIV prevention has been cut by $23 million over the past decade and STD prevention efforts, when adjusted for inflation, have 22 percent less funding compared to seven years ago.

The CDC report, released at the National STD Prevention Conference in Atlanta today, shows new HIV infection rates 44 times higher among men who have sex with men (MSM) than heterosexual men and 40 times higher than rates among women. The CDC also said that syphilis rates among MSM are 46 times higher than heterosexual male rates, and 71 times higher than rates among women.

"There are lots of reasons for these rates of infection," Thompson said. "But a major cause is the lack of funding, programs and political will focused on this already-marginalized population."

The CDC attributed the higher infection rates in part to existing high prevalence of HIV among the gay population, along with complacency and lack of awareness among young MSM in general, as well as homophobia and stigma that can prevent MSM from seeking prevention, testing and treatment services. The agency estimated the MSM population at four percent of men in the U.S.

"For every new infection we prevent, we save an estimated $600,000 in lifetime treatment costs for someone living with HIV/AIDS," Thompson said. "We cannot afford to treat our way out of this epidemic. We also cannot afford to be inflicting this kind of suffering on the gay and bisexual population."

There is long-standing data on some sub-groups of gay men, such as young gay African Americans, showing HIV prevalence rates in excess of what is seen in some sub-Saharan African countries.

"We need to boost funding for HIV prevention among gay men and cut these infection rates and end this epidemic," Thompson said. "Otherwise, these infection rates will continue to climb right along with the cost of treatment."

There are an estimated 65,000 people living with HIV/AIDS Los Angeles County. Over 80 percent are men, and some 65 percent of all cases are among Latinos, African-Americans and other racial minorities.

AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA), one of the largest non-profit AIDS service organizations in the United States, provides bilingual direct services, prevention education and leadership on HIV/AIDS-related policy and legislation. With more than 25 years of service, APLA is a community-based, volunteer-supported organization with local, national and global reach. For more information, visit www.apla.org.