IA

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. J. RES. 334

Designating May 29 through June 4, 1994, as ‘‘Pediatric and Adolescent

AIDS Awareness Week’’ in the United States.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 10, 1994

Mr. SERRANO introduced the following joint resolution; which was referred to

the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service

JOINT RESOLUTION

Designating May 29 through June 4, 1994, as ‘‘Pediatric

and Adolescent AIDS Awareness Week’’ in the United

States.

Whereas more than 339,250 individuals in the United States

have been diagnosed with acquired immune deficiency

syndrome (commonly known as AIDS) and 204,390 have

died from the disease;

Whereas the Public Health Service has estimated that there

are currently between 1,000,000 and 1,500,000 persons

in the United States infected with AIDS;

Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has

reported 4,906 cases of pediatric AIDS and 1,412 cases

of adolescent AIDS as of October 1993;
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Whereas 1 in 5 of all reported AIDS cases is diagnosed in

the 20–29 year old age group, and the median incubation

period between human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV) infection and AIDS diagnosis is nearly 10 years, most of

those people in their 20’s who are diagnosed with AIDS

were adolescents when they became infected;

Whereas AIDS was the eighth leading cause of death among

children aged 1–4 in 1990 and if the incidence of AIDS

continues to increase, within the next 10 years AIDS

may become the fifth leading cause of death among children of all ages in the United States;

Whereas by the end of 1995, maternal deaths caused by the

HIV/AIDS epidemic will have orphaned an estimated

24,600 children (under age 13) and 21,000 adolescents

(aged 13–17) in the United States and unless the course

of the epidemic changes dramatically, by the year 2000

the overall number of motherless children and adolescents

will exceed 80,000;

Whereas in 1992 reported AID cases among women continued to grow at a faster rate than among men, and for

the first time, more than half the number of women’s

cases were the result of heterosexual transmission, not intravenous drug use;

Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that approximately 110,000 women in the United

States are infected with HIV and an estimated 6,000 are

expected to give birth to children each year, and approximately 1,500 to 2,000 of these children will be infected

with HIV;

Whereas more than 88 percent of children with AIDS have

a parent with, or at risk for, HIV infection;
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Whereas 24 percent of reported pediatric AIDS cases in the

United States have occurred in New York City, and the

South Bronx has the highest HIV seroprevalence rate

among newborns in the United States;

Whereas Philadelphia ranks among American cities most impacted by reported AIDS cases among children age 0–13,

and these children belong to an estimated 1,400 HIV affected families;

Whereas ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected by

AIDS, with 74 percent of women with AIDS and 79 percent of children with AIDS being African-American or

Hispanic;

Whereas there have been 1,183 cases of pediatric AIDS reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

in New York City; 260 cases in Miami, Florida; 184

cases in Newark, New Jersey; 168 cases in San Juan,

Puerto Rico; 146 cases in Los Angeles, California; 138

cases in Washington, DC; 107 cases in West Palm

Beach, Florida; 117 cases in Boston, Massachusetts; 125

cases in Chicago, Illinois; 113 cases in Baltimore, Maryland, 87 cases in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and 87

cases in Houston, Texas;

Whereas it is important that the people of the United States

diligently seek preventative measures and better solutions

to care for women and youth, including helping them

gain access to HIV and other sexually transmitted disease clinical therapies;

Whereas early intervention and educational resources must be

made available to all citizens, especially youth and other

high-risk groups, to make them more aware of AIDS and
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•HJ 334 IH

the risks associated with engaging in unprotected sexual

activity or substance abuse;

Whereas the Health Care Financing Administration and the

Public Health Service should work with appropriate State

officials to help design optimal care packages needed for

children, youth, and families with AIDS or HIV infection

especially as health care reform is undertaken; and

Whereas States and localities should recognize relatives, extended family members, and other nonbiological relatives

as an appropriate source of foster care for children with

AIDS whose parents can no longer care for them, subject

to the same review and afforded the same benefits as

other foster parents: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives

2 of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 That May 29 through June 4, 1994, is designated as ‘‘Pe4 diatric and Adolescent AIDS Awareness Week’’, and the

5 President is authorized and requested to issue a proclama6 tion calling upon the people of the United States to ob7 serve the week with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

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