With the exception of Senator Russ Feingold and Representative Tammy Baldwin, the rest of Wisconsin’s Congressional delegation were silent on World AIDS Day.

No statement from:

• Senator Herb Kohl
• Rep. Paul Ryan (1st Congressional district)
• Rep. Ron Kind (3rd Congressional district)
• Rep. Gwen Moore (4th Congressional district)
• Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (5th Congressional district)
• Rep. Thomas Petri (6th Congressional district)
• Rep. David Obey (7th Congressional district)
• Rep. Steve Kagen (8th Congressional district)

Senator Russ Feingold’s statement:

Today, I join individuals and organizations from around the world in affirming that access for all to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support is a human rights issue.  We have come a long way in developing effective strategies for the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, but many communities still lack access to the necessary tools.  Even worse, people living with HIV and groups vulnerable to HIV, in some cases, continue to be stigmatized and marginalized, which hurts our efforts to combat the disease.  Both at home and abroad, we need to push for an end to this discrimination.

“I am proud to have been part of the bipartisan effort this decade to increase U.S. commitment to fight this terrible disease.  Over the next decade, our challenge is to keep the promises that have been made, while ensuring that we have a sustainable approach that demonstrates real results.  We need to focus more on strengthening local health systems with trained staff, who have access to good healthcare themselves and safe working conditions.  Until developing countries as well as our own cities have such health systems, universal access to prevention and treatment will be unachievable.”

Represenative Baldwin’s statement:

“World AIDS Day serves as a somber reminder of the global pandemic that is as threatening as any we have ever known. The statistics are staggering. Since 1981, worldwide, more than 32 million people have died of AIDS. 33.4 million are currently living with HIV/AIDS, roughly half of them women. In Africa, families struggle daily against poverty and without access to drugs. More than 14 million children there are AIDS orphans. In the US, we struggle daily against complacency and misinformation. More than a million people are living with HIV/AIDS, and it is the leading cause of death for Black men and women between the ages of 25 to 44. Every nine and a half minutes in our country, another person becomes infected.

HIV/AIDS education, research, and treatment continue to be stifled in many parts of the world by misinformation, fear, and stigma. In Uganda, proposed legislation would severely criminalize the ‘promotion of homosexuality,’ thereby limiting the distribution of information on HIV prevention. Worse yet, the legislation would establish the crime of ‘aggravated homosexuality’ punishable by death for anyone in Uganda who is HIV positive and has consensual same-sex relations. I have asked Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to use the full force of her office to condemn this “Anti-Homosexual Bill” introduced in Uganda’s parliament

The U.S. has made great strides in confronting the reality of HIV/AIDS here at home and around the world. We can be proud of the work of our scientists, health care providers, and relief workers. But looking to tomorrow, we can, and we must, do more globally, nationally, locally, and as individuals. Government can lead the way in funding research and developing vaccines, treatments, and potential cures. Individuals must take the initiative to be tested and act responsibly. HIV/AIDS is not ‘their’ problem, it is ‘ours,’ and together we must defeat it.

On World AIDS Day, we remember all those we’ve lost to this terrible disease. We honor all those working to prevent more deaths. We support all those living with HIV/AIDS and those who care for them; and we pledge to work to end this scourge of our time.”

Closer to home base, Department of Health Services Secretary, Karen Timberlake, issued the following statement:

As people around the globe mark the 21st anniversary of World AIDS Day on December 1 state health officials report that HIV infection rates in Wisconsin are rising again. In 2008, 391 new cases of HIV infection were reported in the state. More than 6,800 people are estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS in Wisconsin and more than 33 million people worldwide are living with HIV.

“World AIDS Day reminds us that we are all part of a worldwide AIDS/HIV epidemic,” said Secretary Karen Timberlake. “The number of people living with HIV continues to grow as new infections occur and HIV treatments successfully extend life. Each of us shares in the challenge of helping people who need HIV prevention and treatment services.”

The impact of HIV in Wisconsin continues to weigh heavily on minority communities. The reported HIV infection rate in 2008 was 11 times greater for African Americans and five times greater for Hispanics than for Whites. In 2008, 68 percent of all females reported with HIV infection in Wisconsin were members of race/ethnic minority groups. Among females, the reported HIV infection rate was 21 times greater for African Americans and eight times greater for Hispanics than for Whites.

The HIV infection rate among men who have sex with men in Wisconsin has also increased 36 percent between 2000 and 2008 which the majority of the increase occurring in males under 30 years of age. African American men who have sex with men have also seen significant increases with reports of HIV infection tripling in the Milwaukee metro area during the same time period.
There are several ways individuals can prevent HIV infection:

• Practice safe-sex methods to prevent HIV
• Talk about HIV prevention with family, friends, and colleagues
• Get tested for HIV • Decide not to engage in high risk behaviors
• Provide support to people living with HIV/AIDS
• Get involved with community efforts to raise awareness about HIV prevention and treatment.

In 2008, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new estimates indicating that more than 1.1 million people are living with HIV and some 56,300 new HIV infections occur each year in the U.S. On average, every 9 1⁄2 minutes someone in the United States is infected with HIV.

If you have questions about HIV or HIV testing, you are encouraged to talk with your health care provider, local health department, or call 1-800-334-2437 to locate HIV testing resources in Wisconsin. To learn more about World AIDS Day and HIV infection in Wisconsin, go to http://dhs.wisconsin.gov/aids-hiv