World AIDS Day Forum 2006

The San Francisco AIDS Foundation applauds the enormous progress made toward ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic. And yet, we are frustrated at the persistent and endemic nature of HIV in San Francisco, California and the nation. For the past several years, a set of key indicators in the epidemic has remained constant.

Some 25 percent of Americans who are HIV-positive do not know their serostatus. This figure is estimated to be 20 percent in San Francisco. Nationally, 20 percent of individuals who are HIV-positive are not in care for their infection. Nationally and in California, the numbers of individuals becoming newly infected with HIV annually remain constant at 40,000 and 6,700 to 9,000 people respectively. San Francisco has experienced a welcome decrease in the infection rate to some 900 to 1,000 individuals annually, but the Foundation believes local agencies should strive to eliminate virtually all new infections.

Bold new strategies and programs are needed to have deeper impact on the HIV/AIDS epidemic. On World AIDS Day (Dec. 1, 2006), members of the San Francisco community joined leaders of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and a panel of national experts in considering future directions in the fight against HIV/AIDS. What are the implications of the CDC's new guidelines for "routinizing" HIV testing? How do we best address the soaring and disproportionate rates of HIV infection among African American gay and other men? What is behind the current buzz about new HIV prevention technologies? What are the prospects for sustained resources to continue the fight against HIV?

Hank Plante, Political Editor at CBS-5 TV News in San Francisco moderated a panel discussion that included:

• New Prevention Strategies: Judith Auerbach, PhD, Deputy Executive Director for Science and Public Policy, San Francisco AIDS Foundation
• Changing HIV Testing Paradigms: Timothy Mastro, MD, FACP, Deputy Director for Science, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Social Contextual Influences on African American Men's HIV Risks: Robert Fullilove, EdD, Associate Dean and Professor, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University
• Sustaining the Commitment to End AIDS: Jennifer Kates, MA, MPA, Vice President and Director, HIV Policy, Kaiser Family Foundation

View a webcast of the event courtesy of the Kaiser Family Foundation.