IV 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 334 
Supporting the goals and ideals of National HIV Testing Day. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 24, 2011 
Ms. LEE of California (for herself, Mr. HONDA, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Ms. 
BALDWIN, Ms. NORTON, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, and Mr. JACKSON of Illi-
nois) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce 
RESOLUTION 
Supporting the goals and ideals of National HIV Testing 
Day. 
Whereas in 2009, around the world, 33,300,000 people were 
living with HIV, 1,800,000 people died of AIDS-related 
illnesses, and another 2,600,000 people were newly in-
fected, and, of these numbers, children under the age of 
15 accounted for 260,000 AIDS deaths, 370,000 new 
HIV infections, and a total of 2,500,000 of all people liv-
ing with HIV; 
Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
(CDC) estimates that in the United States more than 
1,100,000 people are living with HIV and approximately 
21 percent do not know they are infected; 
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•HRES 334 IH 
Whereas the CDC estimates that a total of 617,025 people 
have died of AIDS in the United States from the begin-
ning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic through 2008; 
Whereas the CDC estimates that each year 56,300 people be-
come newly infected with HIV in the United States, and, 
on average, an individual is infected with HIV every 91⁄2 
minutes; 
Whereas current estimates by the CDC utilize a new method-
ology that results in more accurate estimates of new HIV 
infections; 
Whereas previous estimates by the CDC of HIV infection 
rates undercounted the rate of infection by 40 percent; 
Whereas the CDC estimates that at the end of 2008, African- 
Americans represented 48 percent of all people living 
with HIV in the United States, Whites represented 33 
percent, Hispanics represented 17 percent, Asian-Ameri-
cans and Pacific Islanders represented 1 percent, and 
American Indians and Alaska Natives represented less 
than 1 percent; 
Whereas the CDC estimates that at the end of 2008, men ac-
counted for 75 percent of all people living with HIV in 
the United States, and women represented 25 percent; 
Whereas the rate of new HIV infection for African-American 
women is nearly 15 times higher than White women, 
while the rate among Hispanic women is nearly 4 times 
higher; 
Whereas the CDC has determined that in the United States 
the leading transmission category of HIV infection is 
male-to-male sexual contact, followed by heterosexual 
contact and injection drug use; 
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•HRES 334 IH 
Whereas men who have sex with men (MSM) have rep-
resented an increasing share of new HIV infections over 
the past decade, with 54 percent of all new infections in 
2008 occurring among young MSM of color, in par-
ticular, bearing a disproportionate burden of the epi-
demic; 
Whereas surveys indicate that many Americans want more 
information about HIV, including information about the 
different types of tests available, testing costs, test result 
confidentiality, and testing locations; 
Whereas African-Americans and Hispanics are much more 
likely than Whites to say they need more information 
about HIV testing; 
Whereas studies have found that Asian-Americans and Pa-
cific Islanders are less likely to report having sought HIV 
testing than other ethnic groups, are more likely to be di-
agnosed at a later stage of the disease, and are less like-
ly, if diagnosed, to use HIV/AIDS services; 
Whereas people at high risk of acquiring HIV are often at 
high risk of acquiring other sexually transmitted diseases 
as well; 
Whereas in 2008, the CDC estimated that 1 in 4 young 
women between the ages of 14 and 19 in the United 
States and nearly 1 in 2 African-American young women 
in the United States were infected with at least 1 of the 
4 most common sexually transmitted diseases; 
Whereas the CDC reports that when HIV-infected people 
know their status, they are more likely to practice behav-
iors that reduce the risk of HIV transmission to other 
people; 
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Whereas the CDC estimates that in 2006, of the people diag-
nosed as HIV-positive, 38 percent were later diagnosed 
with AIDS within 1 year of their HIV test; 
Whereas the CDC reports that early knowledge of HIV status 
is important for connecting HIV-positive people with 
medical care and services that can reduce mortality and 
prevent the onset of AIDS; 
Whereas anxiety, misconception, and stigma have been tradi-
tionally associated with HIV/AIDS and HIV testing; 
Whereas the most commonly used HIV tests currently require 
a 2-week waiting period for a diagnosis, and such a wait-
ing period contributes to the anxiety surrounding HIV 
testing that discourages people from receiving their diag-
nosis; 
Whereas the CDC estimated that in 2004, of the people who 
took an HIV test at sites funded by the CDC, 22 percent 
did not return for their test results; 
Whereas rapid test kits approved by the Food and Drug Ad-
ministration have made HIV testing easier, more acces-
sible, and less invasive, and can deliver results within a 
single day or hour; 
Whereas prevention counseling is an essential part of HIV 
testing and, when conducted according to established 
CDC guidelines, has been shown to be effective at pro-
ducing individual behavioral change; 
Whereas in September 2006, the CDC released ‘‘Revised Rec-
ommendations for HIV Testing of Adults, Adolescents, 
and Pregnant Women in Health-Care Settings’’, which 
advises all health care providers in the public and private 
sectors to provide routine HIV screening of adults, ado-
lescents, and pregnant women in health care settings in 
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•HRES 334 IH 
the United States, and recommends reducing barriers to 
HIV testing; 
Whereas the National Association of People with AIDS 
(NAPWA), founded in 1983, is the oldest coalition of 
people living with HIV/AIDS, and advocates on behalf of 
all people living with HIV/AIDS; 
Whereas National HIV Testing Day is an annual campaign 
that was introduced in 1995 by NAPWA to encourage in-
dividuals to seek out and receive voluntary HIV coun-
seling and testing; 
Whereas President Obama announced the National HIV/ 
AIDS Strategy on July 13, 2010, and established a goal 
of increasing the percentage of people living with HIV 
who know their serostatus from 79 percent to 90 percent 
by 2015; 
Whereas increasing rates of testing is important to using 
Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) as a promising preven-
tion tool for MSM; and 
Whereas as part of its overall public health mission, the CDC 
annually supports the National HIV Prevention Con-
ference and National HIV Testing Day: Now, therefore, 
be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) supports the goals and ideals of National 
HIV Testing Day; 
(2) encourages State and local governments, in-
cluding their public health agencies, to recognize 
such day, to publicize its importance among their 
communities, and to encourage individuals to under-
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go counseling and testing for HIV and other sexu-
ally transmitted diseases; 
(3) encourages the use of rapid test kits ap-
proved by the Food and Drug Administration as a 
fast and efficient method of HIV testing; 
(4) encourages national, State, and local media 
organizations to carry messages in support of Na-
tional HIV Testing Day; 
(5) commends the President for emphasizing 
the importance of addressing the HIV/AIDS epi-
demic among all Americans; and 
(6) supports the implementation of the National 
AIDS Strategy with clear goals and objectives to re-
duce new HIV infections, especially among minority 
communities and men who have sex with men. 
Æ 
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