A qualitative study conducted with people who have tested HIV-positive but never had HIV medical care in the United States has found that many of these individuals had poor experiences with testing, counselling and referral services. Health professionals were not always perceived to be compassionate, helpful or available, researchers from the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) report in the June issue of AIDS Education and Prevention. Most of the participants were poor and often had no health insurance. Interviewees felt that the structural barriers to accessing healthcare were considerable.

Dr. Henry Lee Mangum III, 36, died Friday, June 17, 2011 at University Hospital in New Orleans. Trey Mangum was a current member of the NEAC Board of Directors, serving as vice-chair of the board. His sudden and unexpected death has us overwhelmed with grief. Trey was a wonderful, caring person who created such joy wherever he went. He dedicated his life to those with HIV and AIDS.

HIV remains one of the most formidable challenges facing the human family and we ignore this challenge, literally, at our own peril. This is clear from the final declaration agreed by the U.N. General Assembly High Level Meeting on AIDS that met June 8-10 in New York. The cost in human suffering, lost opportunities and diversion of resources remains a challenge that no one can escape, but there is hope of better protection through increased access to anti-retroviral drugs, early testing, and recent medical breakthroughs.

“The world has watched as we forged a new declaration that will shape the endgame of the AIDS epidemic,” General Assembly President Joseph Deiss told the leaders, ministers and diplomats after banging his gavel to signify the declaration’s adoption by consensus. Funding to combat AIDS increased eight-fold, from $1.8 billion in 2001 to $16 billion in 2010, but the U.N. agency to combat AIDS says between $22 billion and $24 billion is needed to address the magnitude of the crisis and respond to global demands for prevention, treatment and fighting discrimination against HIV sufferers.

"Mostly what happened is there were people in the congregation who said their friends were sick and asked if I would go visit them," he said. "The hospitals would also call to say there was a gay man here who is Lutheran and very sick. That got me involved."