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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, February 7, 2019 is the 18th annual commemoration
3and observance of National African-American HIV/AIDS Awareness
4Day; and
 
5    WHEREAS, This observance is a nationwide effort to mobilize
6African-American communities to get educated, tested,
7involved, and treated for HIV/AIDS, as it continues to
8devastate African-American communities; and
 
9    WHEREAS, National African-American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
10is directed, planned, and strategically implemented by
11HIV/AIDS organizations to mobilize community-based
12organizations and stakeholders involved in HIV/AIDS
13prevention, care, and treatment; and
 
14    WHEREAS, African-Americans account for 46.8% of people
15living with HIV, although they represent just 12% of the United
16States population; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Illinois has witnessed HIV infections drop by 35%
18over the last decade, however, nearly 43,000 residents of
19Illinois are still living with HIV (including the undiagnosed);
20the Black community continues to be disproportionally impacted
21by the epidemic; Black gay men are experiencing an increase in

 

 

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1HIV cases, particularly among youth; Black woman account for
2more than 73% of women who are newly diagnosed and women who
3are living with HIV; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Nearly 43,000 residents of Illinois are living
5with HIV (including the undiagnosed), and 52% of people newly
6diagnosed with HIV are African-American; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Young African-American gay men under the age of 30
8in Chicago have an infection rate three times greater than
9their white counterparts; and
 
10    WHEREAS, At the current rate of infection, nationally 1 in
114 gay African-American men will become HIV-positive by the time
12they are 25, and 1 in 2 will have HIV by the time they are 35;
13and
 
14    WHEREAS, Of those African-Americans that are HIV-positive,
15fewer than half are prescribed antiretroviral therapy (HIV
16medication), and just 37% reach viral suppression; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Over two-thirds of women diagnosed with HIV in the
18United States are African-American; Center for Disease Control
19data reports that by race/ethnicity, African-American
20transgender women have the highest percentage of new HIV
21positive test results; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, HIV medication taken daily (Pre-Exposure
2Prophylaxis or PrEP) is nearly 100% effective at preventing HIV
3infection when used consistently and correctly and creates the
4opportunity to dramatically reduce HIV infections in the Black
5community, but awareness of PrEP and access to PrEP is low in
6the Black community for those who could potentially benefit
7from PrEP, based on the CDC guidelines; only 1% of PrEP users
8are Black; and
 
9    WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly and administration
10failed to transfer money to the African-American American
11HIV/AIDS Response Fund, resulting in an inability to make
12grants to organizations focused on fighting the epidemic in the
13African-American community; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Numerous organizations, faith-based institutions,
15public health entities, and impacted citizens are hosting
16community events to recognize this day and its importance to
17African-Americans and all concerned citizens; and
 
18    WHEREAS, It is fitting that we join with these local,
19national, and international groups to express our strong
20support for National African-American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
21and the initiatives to prevent HIV/AIDS in African-American
22communities and provide access to and utilization of HIV/AIDS

 

 

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1prevention, treatment, and support services to those affected
2by HIV/AIDS; therefore, be it
 
3    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
4HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
5we declare February 7, 2019 as National African-American
6HIV/AIDS Awareness Day in Illinois, and encourage local
7residents to strongly support this day and participate in
8events planned to commemorate the occasion.