•HCON 24 IH 
Whereas previous estimates of HIV infection rates under-
counted the rate of infection by 40 percent; 
Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
have determined that the leading transmission category 
of HIV infection is male-to-male sexual contact, followed 
by heterosexual contact and injection drug use; 
Whereas men who have sex with men (MSM) have rep-
resented an increasing share of new HIV infections over 
the past decade, with 57 percent of all new infections in 
2006 occurring among MSM; 
Whereas the 2000 United States Census noted that African- 
Americans account for approximately 13 percent of the 
population of the United States, but in 2006 African- 
Americans accounted for 45 percent of new HIV infec-
tions; 
Whereas, of the estimated 18,849 people under the age of 25 
who were diagnosed with HIV between 2001 and 2005, 
more than 60 percent were African-American; 
Whereas young gay men of color bear a disproportionate bur-
den of the epidemic, with more new infections in 2006 oc-
curring among 13 to 29 year old African-American MSM 
than among any other subpopulation of MSM; 
Whereas the rate of AIDS diagnoses for African-American 
adults and adolescents is 10 times higher than that of 
their White counterparts and the rate of diagnoses for 
Black women is nearly 23 times the rate for White 
women; 
Whereas, in 2006, Black women accounted for 61 percent of 
new HIV infections among women and had an infection 
rate that was almost 15 times higher than that of White 
women; 
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•HCON 24 IH 
Whereas AIDS is the leading cause of death for Black women 
between the ages of 25 and 34; 
Whereas the Black AIDS Institute notes that there are more 
African-Americans living with HIV in the United States 
than there are people living with HIV in 7 out of the 15 
focus countries served by the President’s Emergency 
Plan for AIDS Relief; 
Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note 
that socioeconomic issues impact the rates of HIV infec-
tion among Blacks, and studies have found an association 
between higher AIDS incidence and lower incomes; 
Whereas, in 2006, Hispanics accounted for 18 percent of new 
HIV/AIDS diagnoses, but account for approximately 15 
percent of the overall population, according to the Bu-
reau of the Census; 
Whereas, in 2005, HIV/AIDS was the fourth leading cause 
of death among Hispanic men and women between the 
ages of 35 and 44; 
Whereas, in 2006, Hispanic women were 5 times more likely 
to have AIDS than non-Hispanic White women; 
Whereas studies have found that Asian-Americans and Pa-
cific Islanders are less likely to report having sought HIV 
testing than other ethnic groups; have limited access to 
culturally and linguistically competent HIV/AIDS related 
education and health care; are more likely to be diag-
nosed at a later stage of disease; and are less likely, if 
diagnosed, to use HIV case management services, hous-
ing assistance, substance use treatment, or health edu-
cation services; 
Whereas, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, fund-
ing for domestic HIV prevention programs was decreased 
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•HCON 24 IH 
by more than $40,000,000 in the 5-year period beginning 
with fiscal year 2003, despite the evidence that HIV in-
fections continue to increase in at-risk communities; 
Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are 
engaging in outreach programs to increase HIV testing 
in jurisdictions with the highest AIDS case rates among 
African-Americans, and those outreach programs are ex-
pected to identify approximately 20,000 previously 
undiagnosed cases; 
Whereas, despite those efforts, the Centers for Disease Con-
trol and Prevention have noted that ‘‘new strategies are 
warranted to increase HIV testing, particularly among 
persons who are disproportionately affected by HIV infec-
tion’’; 
Whereas the United States must do more to address the dis-
proportionate impact of HIV and AIDS in minority com-
munities; 
Whereas the United States needs to address the stigma faced 
by individuals living with HIV and AIDS and help com-
munities have an open discussion about HIV and the be-
haviors that contribute to increased transmission rates; 
Whereas the United States needs to ensure that prevention 
efforts are founded on a base of scientific evidence and 
reinforce interventions that have proven successful; 
Whereas the United States must do more to provide edu-
cation and testing in the communities most at risk; 
Whereas the United States needs to involve individuals living 
with HIV and AIDS in the development of policies and 
programs regarding prevention and treatment; and 
Whereas the United States needs to develop a comprehensive 
national AIDS strategy that will unite efforts to prevent 
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•HCON 24 IH 
new HIV infections, treat HIV and AIDS, reduce stigma, 
and increase education about HIV and associated condi-
tions: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That Congress— 
(1) calls upon the President to develop a na-
tional AIDS strategy, with the input of individuals 
living with HIV and the communities that have been 
adversely impacted by the AIDS epidemic; 
(2) calls upon the Federal Government to part-
ner with African-American communities, particularly 
faith-based groups and community-based organiza-
tions, to develop strategies to reduce and reverse the 
impact of the epidemic upon Black communities; 
(3) calls upon the Department of Health and 
Human Services to increase education and outreach 
regarding HIV prevention, testing, and treatment, to 
ensure that all people in the United States are 
aware of how to protect themselves from infection; 
and 
(4) calls upon the people of the United States 
to educate themselves about HIV infection and the 
ways in which they can protect themselves. 
Æ 
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