Jon L. Christensen: “in 2 days, the Ryan White CARE Act will expire, and though it will continue under its current authorization, as this…”

“in 2 days, the Ryan White CARE Act will expire, and though it will continue under its current authorization, as this landmark and life-saving Act expires, it is almost as though a light expires as well, a light of life and hope for the hundreds of thousands of Americans who have depended upon it. We all know how disproportionately the HIV/AIDS epidemic has, and continues to, affect the African American community. In fact, since the beginning of this epidemic, African Americans have been hardest hit. This is not only due to adverse lifestyles but also largely due to the poor level of services, lack of insurance and the intractable poverty where too many people of color are trapped. As shocking as the statistics are one year, they get worse the following year. Nearly half of all people living with HIV and AIDS in the United States are African American, and the AIDS case rate for African Americans is 9.5 times that of whites. About six in 10 children to HIV-infected mothers are African American. Sixty-five percent of the AIDS cases among young people, 13 to 19 years of age, are in African Americans. AIDS is the leading cause of death for African American women, 24 to 34 years of age.…”