Obama: We’re ‘the First Admin. to Release a Comprehensive Strategy on HIV’

“It’s hard to believe, but it has now been more than three decades since the first cases of HIV and AIDS were diagnosed in the United States. For many Americans, those early days of the AIDS epidemic were marked by fear and stigma. By how little we knew about the disease. By a lonely fight to be seen, to be heard, even to be treated with basic compassion. Times have changed. Prevention, treatment and care have saved millions of lives, even in the world’s poorest countries. Testing and access to the right treatment mean that being HIV positive, once perhaps a death sentence can still mean a chance at healthy and productive life. But our work is far from finished. One in eight people with HIV still go undiagnosed. Only three in ten people with HIV have suppressed the virus in their system, lowering it to an undetectable level. And this disease still affects different ages, races, sexual orientations, and even different regions of the country in disproportionate ways. That’s why this is the first administration to release a comprehensive Strategy on HIV/AIDS. That's why we are updating it for the rest of this decade. It seizes on the rapid shifts in science and policy as we’ve learned more about this disease. It calls for widespread testing, full access to services that reduce the risk of acquiring the HIV virus, and guaranteed access to regular doctor appointments. And it focuses on making sure that every American, no matter who you are, where you live, or how much money you’ve got, can get access to life-extending care. We’ve come a long way in the fight against AIDS – and we can’t let up now. For those whose lives are still at risk, and for those who didn’t live to see this moment, let’s keep working for an AIDS-free generation. Thank you.”