World AIDS Day

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) joins organizations across the globe in recognizing December 1 as World AIDS Day, with its international theme of “Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise.” VA is keeping the promise by caring for veterans with HIV/AIDS and those at risk for the disease, carrying out research, and sharing its collective expertise with veterans, health care providers, and the public at large via a new VA HIV Web site, at http://www.hiv.va.gov.

VA is the nation’s largest single provider of health care to those infected with HIV, providing medical services to about 20,000 veteran HIV patients each year. VA investigators are involved in more than 300 HIV/AIDS-related research projects, from basic studies on how HIV affects the body to clinical trials and assessments of health services delivery. The new Web site http://www.hiv.va.gov, launched in collaboration with the Center for HIV Information at the University of California, San Francisco, provides comprehensive information on HIV/AIDS.

Advances in antiretroviral therapy introduced in the 1990’s have made HIV infection a chronic medical condition that many will live with for decades. While close medical attention, strict adherence to antiretroviral therapy, and management of side effects from these drugs are still necessary, quality of life has improved, hospitalizations are less common, and the debilitating complications associated with HIV occur less frequently.

Despite these advances, prevention of new HIV infections remains important. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that approximately 40,000 new HIV infections occur each year in the U.S. as a whole. Unprotected sex with an infected person and the sharing of needles or other materials used to prepare illicit drugs for injection are currently the most common modes of transmission.

VA encourages all Americans to prevent becoming infected with HIV or spreading
the infection to others, by taking several steps.

• If you believe you may be at risk for HIV infection, ask your medical care provider about getting tested for HIV. Taking a test for HIV is the only way you can know for sure if you have HIV infection.
• If you have any kind of sex, using a condom every time is the most reliable way to prevent sexual transmission of HIV. Don’t assume your partner is uninfected merely because he or she appears to be healthy or doesn’t seem to be at risk.
• If you use illicit drugs, never share needles or other materials (“works”) used to prepare drugs for injection. Many forms of effective treatment are available for substance abuse, and you should speak with your health care provider to find out how to get help.
• If you know someone who is engaging in risky behavior, speak frankly to him or her about your concerns and encourage HIV testing. HIV/AIDS is not something anyone should feel afraid to talk about.

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