IV 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 737 
Supporting the goals and ideals of National Clinicians HIV/AIDS Testing 
and Awareness Day, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 19, 2012 
Ms. WATERS (for herself, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. CLAY, Ms. NORTON, Ms. RICHARD-
SON, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Ms. LEE of Cali-
fornia, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Ms. JACKSON LEE 
of Texas, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. RUSH, Ms. BASS of California, Ms. 
WOOLSEY, Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California, and Mr. HASTINGS of 
Florida) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce 
RESOLUTION 
Supporting the goals and ideals of National Clinicians HIV/ 
AIDS Testing and Awareness Day, and for other purposes. 
Whereas HIV/AIDS is a devastating epidemic that continues 
to spread in communities throughout the United States; 
Whereas approximately 1,700,000 people in the United 
States have been infected by HIV/AIDS since the first 
cases were reported 31 years ago; 
Whereas there are approximately 1,200,000 people living with 
HIV/AIDS in the United States today; 
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•HRES 737 IH 
Whereas there are approximately 50,000 new HIV infections 
and approximately 18,000 new AIDS-related deaths every 
year in the United States; 
Whereas every 91⁄2 minutes another person in the United 
States becomes infected with HIV; 
Whereas President Barack Obama released the National 
HIV/AIDS Strategy on July 13, 2010, in order to 
refocus attention on the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic; 
Whereas the National HIV/AIDS Strategy focuses on three 
major goals, including reducing the number of new HIV 
infections, increasing access to care and improving health 
outcomes for people living with HIV and AIDS, and re-
ducing HIV-related health disparities; 
Whereas HIV/AIDS is spreading rapidly among women, 
young people, and racial minorities, all of which are de-
mographic groups that were not considered to be at sig-
nificant risk of HIV infection during the early years of 
the epidemic; 
Whereas women account for 23 percent of new HIV infec-
tions in the United States; 
Whereas African-Americans account for 44 percent of new 
HIV infections, although only 12 percent of the popu-
lation as a whole is Black; 
Whereas Hispanic-Americans account for 20 percent of new 
HIV infections, although only 16 percent of the popu-
lation as a whole is Hispanic; 
Whereas Asian-Americans account for 2 percent of new HIV 
infections, and Native Americans and Alaskan Natives 
account for 1 percent of new HIV infections; 
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•HRES 737 IH 
Whereas African-American women account for 64 percent of 
new AIDS cases among women and 57 percent of new 
HIV infections among women; 
Whereas people of color account for 68 percent of new HIV 
infections; 
Whereas about 20 percent of the people living with HIV/ 
AIDS in the United States do not know they are in-
fected; 
Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 
guidelines for HIV screening in health care settings rec-
ommend routine HIV testing for all patients between the 
ages of 13 and 64, regardless of risk factors; 
Whereas individuals are more likely to act responsibly and 
protect themselves and other persons in the community 
when they know their HIV status; 
Whereas encouraging people to be tested for HIV is a critical 
element in HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment efforts; 
Whereas individuals who are HIV-positive must learn their 
status in order to obtain counseling on managing their 
health, access appropriate medical and social services, 
begin life-prolonging treatment, and take actions to avoid 
spreading the virus to others; 
Whereas physicians, physician’s assistants, nurses, dentists, 
and other clinicians play a vital role in providing access 
to HIV/AIDS awareness, testing, treatment, and referral 
services, and in encouraging patients to get tested for 
HIV; 
Whereas Howard University College of Medicine has declared 
July 21, 2012, to be the fifth annual National Clinicians 
HIV/AIDS Testing and Awareness Day in an effort to 
encourage clinicians nationwide to become actively in-
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•HRES 737 IH 
volved in HIV/AIDS awareness, testing, treatment, and 
referral services; 
Whereas a diverse group of organizations representing com-
munities affected by HIV/AIDS have partnered with 
Howard University College of Medicine to promote the 
goals and ideals of National Clinicians HIV/AIDS Test-
ing and Awareness Day; 
Whereas the fifth annual National Clinicians HIV/AIDS 
Testing and Awareness Day will give all physicians, phy-
sician assistants, nurses, dentists, and other clinicians an 
opportunity to get personally involved in the fight against 
HIV/AIDS by taking an HIV test, personally dem-
onstrating the importance as well as the ease of HIV 
testing; 
Whereas the National Clinicians HIV/AIDS Testing and 
Awareness Day will be a call to action to clinicians na-
tionwide to lead the way in dispelling the myths and stig-
ma associated with HIV testing and become vocal advo-
cates for patients and communities; and 
Whereas the National Clinicians HIV/AIDS Testing and 
Awareness Day will encourage clinicians to become ac-
tively involved in HIV/AIDS awareness, testing, treat-
ment, and referral services: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) supports the goals and ideals of the fifth 
annual National Clinicians HIV/AIDS Testing and 
Awareness Day; 
(2) encourages primary care physicians and 
other clinicians nationwide to become actively in-
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•HRES 737 IH 
volved in HIV/AIDS awareness, testing, treatment, 
and referral services; 
(3) encourages the media to observe the fifth 
annual National Clinicians HIV/AIDS Testing and 
Awareness Day by educating clinicians about the im-
portant role they play in providing access to HIV/ 
AIDS awareness, testing, treatment, and referral 
services and by educating clinicians and the public 
about the benefits of HIV testing; and 
(4) encourages individuals to get tested for HIV 
and educate themselves about the prevention and 
treatment of HIV/AIDS. 
Æ 
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