United States
Total Treatment Sites:		15
Treatment Site Location(s):		CALIFORNIA FLORIDA Antelope Valley Northpoint Downtown L.A. Miami Hollywood  Jacksonville  Redondo Beach     Upland     Westside L.A.   San Fernando Valley    Whittier    Oakland    San Francisco    El Monte    West Adams (Carl Bean)
Patients on ART:		7,680
Patient Enrolled:		19,557
Report in PDF Format:		United States Country Report

Background & HIV/AIDS in the United States

The first cases of AIDS in the United States were reported in 1981.  During the mid-1990s, the development of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) slowed the progression of HIV infection to AIDS and dramatically decreased AIDS-related morbidity and mortality.  Still, HIV infection and AIDS remain among the leading causes of illness and death in the United States.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were 56,300 new infections in the U.S. in 2006.  And though the number of new HIV infections is down from its peak in the 1980s, 21% of those infected with HIV don’t know it (CDC, 2006).  According to the California Department of Public Health, despite increased survival rates due to improved treatment, about 40% of people test late in their illness and progress to AIDS within one year of an HIV diagnosis.

HIV has a disproportionate impact on certain populations.  Racial and ethnic minorities represented 70% of AIDS deaths in 2007 (CDC, 2008) and though Blacks and Latinos make up about 27% of the U.S. population, they account for 62% of new HIV infections.  Further, women and particularly women of color, make up an increasingly larger share of new HIV infections.  Black women accounted for 65% of new AIDS cases among women in 2007 (CDC, 2009).  Gay and bisexual men are also at high risk for HIV.  They accounted for 53% of new HIV infections in 2006 and are the only group for which new infections are rising (CDC, 2008).  33% of transmissions in 2006 were attributed to high-risk heterosexual contact and injection drug use accounted for 13% (CDC, 2008).

AHF Activities in the United States

Established in 1987, AHF has been at the forefront of responding to the AIDS epidemic through the provision of lifesaving prevention, treatment and care services. The organization has grown from a group of friends dedicated to the creation of dignified care for people in the last stages of AIDS, to the largest AIDS organization in the United States. With the mission to provide cutting-edge medicine and advocacy, regardless of ability to pay, AHF is committed to the following: working to end the AIDS epidemic through prevention, research, and advocacy; providing the finest medical care; partnering with organizations to ensure appropriate outreach and continuity of care; and advocating for the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS, with particular emphasis on the most underserved.

AHF operates 15 domestic healthcare clinics that are devoted exclusively to HIV-centered primary care.  Currently AHF healthcare centers provide ART to 7,201 people with HIV/AIDS, over 60% of whom are uninsured.  AHF also runs 13 pharmacies specializing in HIV medications.  The AHF Public Health Division, which oversees community health education and public policy efforts, operates California’s largest HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing and counseling program and conducts over 14,000 HIV tests annually at alternative sites and venues, including AHF’s Out of the Closet Thrift Stores, (this chain of 18 stores is the US’s largest retail fundraising vehicle for HIV/AIDS medical care). 

In 1995, AHF launched Positive Healthcare, the first Medicaid managed care program for people living with HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles County.  Also, AHF manages one of only two HIV/AIDS-specific Medicare Advantage Part D plans in the United States.  These plans currently provide special needs care to Medicare beneficiaries in Los Angeles and South Florida (Miami and Ft. Lauderdale) and focus on nurse-based care management and care plan development that both improve health outcomes and reduce costs. 

AHF began its disease management program in Florida in 1998 and now serves over 7,500 Medicaid beneficiaries.  Physician consultations, patient and provider education, personalized RN Care Managers, and intensive care management bring focus to preventive care and adherence to treatment regimens.  In February 2009, AHF began its second statewide Medicaid disease management program in California.

The AHF Research Division conducts trials of new HIV medications to discover better treatment protocols and to improve patient quality of life.  And finally, from its inception, AHF has been a strong advocate for persons living with HIV/AIDS.  Its public affairs team has a 20-year history of successful grassroots advocacy, lobbying, media, and public policy work at the local, state, and federal settings in which AHF operates.