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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Polly Carver-Kimm
Polly.Carver-Kimm@idph.iowa.gov
World AIDS Day is December 1
The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) joins local, state and national partners in recognizing Saturday, December 1 as World AIDS Day. Founded in 1988, World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day.
More than 3,000 Iowans are living with HIV; however, based upon statistical modeling, it is estimated about 400 of them do not know because they have never been tested. "World AIDS Day is a good time to remember that everyone between the ages of 15 and 64 should be tested at least once in their lives, regardless of risk,” said IDPH Medical Director and State Epidemiologist, Dr. Caitlin Pedati.
Many things have changed since the first World AIDS Day observance in 1988. HIV (the virus, which if untreated, can cause AIDS) is no longer a “death sentence.” HIV is now treated as a manageable chronic disease. If someone living with HIV stays on their medications and in care, they can expect to live as long as someone without HIV.
There now is a once-daily pill that prevents HIV. When taken daily, PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) has been found to reduce the likelihood of HIV infection by up to 92 percent. Iowa has a nationally recognized TelePrEP program that allows patients to communicate with their healthcare provider via the internet (Skype) and receive their medications by mail.
In addition to medical advances, the stigma around HIV is diminishing; this is a goal of the “Undetectable = Untransmittable” (U=U) campaign. Multiple studies have validated that someone with HIV with an undetectable viral load (low amount of virus in the blood) cannot sexually transmit the virus.
For more information on HIV/AIDS in Iowa, visit https://www.idph.iowa.gov/hivstdhep/hiv.
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