(Washington, DC) For National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, May 19, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation is calling on the Asian & Pacific Islander (API) community to increase HIV awareness and testing this year.   Pregnant women in particular should be tested to know their HIV status, because with treatment an HIV-positive mother can greatly reduce the risk of passing HIV to her baby.

 

“We have made tremendous medical advances and we know how to prevent mother-to-child transmission so that an HIV-positive woman can give birth to a healthy, HIV-negative baby,” said Pamela W. Barnes, President and CEO of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.  “Early testing truly can save lives and can be done as a regular part of prenatal care in places as convenient as community health centers. HIV and AIDS awareness and testing are something the entire community can and should support.”

 

According to 2005 data from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), the number of Asians and Pacific Islanders living with AIDS has climbed by more than ten percent in each of the past five years.  The vast majority of API women living with HIV/AIDS in 2005 were infected through heterosexual contact, yet testing rates are lower for Asians and Pacific Islanders as a group, despite their risk factors for HIV infection.   Testing of pregnant women is crucial to reducing mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

 

“While infection rates may be somewhat lower in the Asian and Pacific Islander population in comparison to other racial and ethnic groups in the U.S., HIV is still a serious concern,” added Barnes. “We must not let social stigma be a deterrent to testing.  Getting an HIV test is one of the most important steps an individual can take to help stem the spread of HIV, and it is especially important for pregnant women.” 

 

Universal, routine counseling and HIV testing are the most effective ways to increase the number of pregnant women who know their HIV status, and give them the chance to protect their own health and the health of their babies. If a woman finds out that she is HIV-positive, she can begin treatment that can reduce the risk of passing HIV to her baby to less than two percent.

 

For more information about how to prevent the transmission of HIV from mother to child, and for more information about the work of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, visit www.pedaids.org.  

 

The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation is a worldwide leader in the fight against pediatric AIDS. Its innovative research programs, collaborative training initiatives, advocacy efforts, and rapidly expanding international prevention and treatment programs are bringing hope to the lives of children and families affected by AIDS worldwide.