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May 18 is HIV
Vaccine Awareness Day
(onlinedatingmagazine.com -
May 12, 2004) May 18th marks the seventh annual HIV
Vaccine Awareness Day. It is a day to educate Americans
about the urgent need for preventive HIV vaccines and
to thank participants in HIV vaccine trials for their
selfless dedication to ending the HIV pandemic. This
year's theme is "Real People, Real Progress," embodying
the thousands of volunteers and researchers involved
in the search for effective preventive HIV vaccines.
HIV/AIDS continues to devastate communities in the
United States and around the world Approximately 40
million people worldwide are estimated to be living
with HIV/AIDS. In the United States, nearly one million
people are living with HIV/AIDS, and more than 40,000
people become infected with HIV each year. HIV is the
number one killer of African-American men between the
ages of 25 and 44, and the third leading cause of death
among Latinos between the ages of 35 and 44. It also
is the third leading cause of death among all women
between the ages of 25 and 44.
While people of color are overrepresented among U.S.
HIV/AIDS cases, they are underrepresented in U.S. preventive
HIV vaccine trials. Many reasons account for this,
but one fact remains resolutely and absolutely clear:
when we find a vaccine we will want to be able to show
that it works for everyone regardless of their race,
ethnicity or gender. To accomplish this, all communities
must be involved in the search for a vaccine. Future
trials will require more individuals to volunteer than
ever before, and those individuals must be representative
of the most affected communities.
NIAID's Vaccine Research Center, the NIAID-supported
HIV Vaccine Trials Network and our colleagues in the
public and private sectors are leading the effort to
test HIV vaccines. Many community-based and national
organizations are working with NIAID and taking a strong
leadership role in educating their constituents about
ongoing research by providing accurate, timely and
culturally relevant information.
For the second year in a row, the day will be commemorated
with a twist on a familiar symbol of AIDS awareness,
the red ribbon. I ask you to wear your AIDS ribbon
upside-down to symbolize a "V" for vaccines
and the vision of a world without AIDS. Ultimately,
this vision is our best hope for all. And it is in
this spirit of hope that I join with those in the United
States and the world in commemorating and honoring
this valiant effort.
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