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Urgent - Stop the Spread of AIDS

Please help our elected representatives see how they should sensibly spend our tax dollars to control the spread of AIDS.

Please help stop the spread of AIDS in the United States and across the world. It is a devastating disease. In 2008, CDC estimated that approximately 56,300 people were newly infected with HIV in 2006. http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/basic.htm#hivest It wreaks havoc across not only individuals but also families and nations. In the United States alone, at the end of 2006, 1.1 million people were living with HIV infection. http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/basic.htm#hivest. Additionally, AIDS affects as many as 34 million people worldwide. http://www.unaids.org/en/.

In 2008 alone, as much as 15 BILLION US dollars were spent battling AIDS. In this same year 17,374 deaths occurred at the evil hands of AIDS.

What can we do to stop the madness, and death due to AIDS? Sex education beginning before puberty and teaching our young the risks associated with sex, and drugs? Other associations to increased HIV transmission and contraction ? HSV2 ? yes herpes. An estimated 50 million people in the US alone has herpes and the CDC recommends against testing for it when having a standard STI panel. It has been shown to increase one?s risk of acquiring AIDS up to five fold. http://www.ahmf.com.au/guidelines/genital-herpes/hsv-in-hiv-infected-individuals

All the while, very little is being done to control the spread of HSV2 and it appears to dramatically increase the spread of HIV. Research has shown that the current antivirals available to treat HSV has - such as acyclovir has no effect in decreasing the susceptibility of HIV in HSV2 infected persons. http://www.ahmf.com.au/guidelines/genital-herpes/hsv-in-hiv-infected-individuals

In closing, I ask that you as a health steward of your taxpaying constituents embark on a sensible program to slow the spread of AIDS.

First, begin by education our youth and society as a whole about how AIDS is spread and the relevant risks around it.

Second, begin allocating a fair share of funding towards the HSV2 research as HSV2 infected individuals are an exponentially higher risk of acquiring HIV. Up to 50 million in the US alone is living with HSV2.

In closing, please our resources wisely. Spending on education and HSV2 research will certainly go a long way in controlling the spread of AIDS. Further, continue your funding of HIV cure research as well.