HIV/AIDS has killed greater than 25 million people around the world, and at present close to 33 million are infected with HIV/AIDS. The American Psychological Association has indicated that more than 1.1 million Americans are living with HIV and more than 56,000 people in the United States contract new infections annually.

The National Center for HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention has revealed that close to 21 percent of Americans living with HIV/AIDS are unaware of their status. Further, one may find it sobering to consider that approximately half of all Americans are acquainted with at least one person who has a diagnosis of HIV and more than 18,000 AIDS-infected people pass away each year in the United States as intimated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In 1987, according to the Gallup Poll, HIV/AIDS was believed to be "the most urgent health problem facing the country" by 68 percent of the population. At present, only 7 percent of the United States finds HIV/AIDS as the nation's utmost health crisis due in part to the acquisition of a better understanding of the disease and the development of appropriate therapies, as well as a shift in attention to other health concerns such as cancer, obesity, heart disease and diabetes, among others. Concurrently, The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation has attested that since 1997, in the United States, individuals ages 18-64 have not exhibited an increased interest in HIV testing. Not feeling at risk for contracting HIV is the most frequently stated explanation for never having been tested, followed by reasons such as a doctor never recommending it, not knowing where to get tested, worrying about confidentiality, and fear of testing positive.

...I am grateful for the advances made in regard to the treatment and care of those infected with HIV/AIDS; however, despite these successes it is evident that the battle against this disease continues. Let us be reminded of the severity and pervasiveness of HIV/AIDS and take action to educate our friends, family, neighbors and co-workers about the prevention of HIV/AIDS, while encouraging the members of our community to get tested. Evidence indicates that early diagnosis improves the lives of those who are infected and has been shown to significantly reduce transmission.

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John Asuncion is the coordinator of the HIV/AIDS Medical Case Management Program at Catharine Street Community Center in Poughkeepsie.