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CNN Sunday Morning

National HIV Prevention Conference Kicks Off Today

Aired August 12, 2001 - 09:17   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: AIDS strikes tens of thousands of people in the United States every year, and the spotlight this year is on efforts to stop the spread of the disease. A national HIV prevention conference kicks off today in Atlanta.

Joining me here in Atlanta to talk about it is Dr. Helene Gayle of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention here in Atlanta. Good morning.

DR. HELENE GAYLE, CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, ATLANTA: Good morning.

PHILLIPS: Well, why don't we get right down to the conference and, you were telling me it's strictly focused on prevention. What will be the bullet points addressed.

GAYLE: Well, we're going to look at the trends in HIV and in AIDS, where we're going in this country, who is at greatest risk, and why. And look at some of the efforts that have been successful in reducing risk behaviors and slowing the spread of HIV in this country.

We'll also look at some of the programs that haven't worked as well, so that we can learn how to do our job better.

PHILLIPS: Who is at greatest risk right now? There is a lot of misconceptions, I think, about people with AIDS.

GAYLE: Well, the groups that's still at highest risk are gay and bisexual men, men who have sex with men. But increasingly it is effecting younger men and particularly gay and bisexual men of color, African American and Latino young men.

We're also seeing considerable spread to women, particularly women of color, African American and Latino women, most of that is due to heterosexual contact and they often don't know what the risk their partner has. And so that's a very important issue as well.

We've made tremendous strides in reducing the number of new HIV infections in children because we can help mother's who are HIV infected cut the rate of transmission to their newborns.

So, we've had some successes. We are concerned that there is evidence of resurgence in risk behaviors in groups, particularly groups at high risk like gay men, and that's a real concern for us, because if we see resurgence of risk behavior, then it is likely that we'll start seeing increases in HIV infection in this country. And that would not be acceptable.

PHILLIPS: You mention a lot about being tested earlier. Is this something that people should do every time they go to the doctor? When you go for your yearly checkup, should you just go ahead and get an AIDS test whether you are concerned or not or think you should be concerned?

GAYLE: Well, I think people -- we really want people to get tested more broadly. We want it to become a routine part of medical practice. Now, everybody isn't at risk for HIV, we know how you get it. People who have been in long-term relationships and are competent about the monogamous nature of the relationship, people who abstain from sexual activity or drug use.

But for a lot of people in this country, they may have risk and it's better to know. Get a test early and be, if they are HIV infected, be linked to appropriate prevention and care services. If they're not HIV infected, make sure that they are doing what they need to do to maintain safe behaviors and keep themselves from being at risk for HIV.

Although we've made tremendous progress in treatment, this is still a very serious disease and so it's always going to be better to prevent somebody from getting HIV.

PHILLIPS: Of course. Let's get right to the e-mails. We've got a couple here for you.

This one comes from Boston, Massachusetts. K.M. says, "I just tested HIV-positive with the Home Access HIV1 testing kit. I had blood work done by my doctor, and preliminary results were that it was undetectable in my viral load. My doctor is still waiting to confirm the HIV-positive results. Has anyone heard of this and what could it mean"?

GAYLE: Well, I think it's most important that she first get confirmed to make sure that she is HIV infected. And so it seems like she is doing the right thing with her doctor. You can have a very, very low viral load because you're not infected, so it wouldn't be inconceivable if the tests results come back and show that she does not have the antibodies to HIV, that she would also not have evidence of the virus in her blood.

So, it's just important that she has all of those results confirmed and is clear about whether or not she is infected with HIV and then get the kind of therapy that she needs and consistent care and prevention efforts if she is infected.

PHILLIPS: Do you think these home testing kits are a good idea? I mean, a lot of people are sort of embarrassed to get an AIDS test.

GAYLE: Well, I think that they serve a purpose. It's important that there be as many options as possible, so that people can get test results, and sometimes people are more comfortable doing it in the privacy of their home.

But it needs to be followed with connection to the medical system, overall. So, we want people to get tested. We want options that allow for a variety of different ways to get that information, but most importantly one must link to a care provider who is very familiar with care for HIV infected people.

PHILLIPS: All right, one more e-mail here. This one comes from Yvette in East Hampton, New York: "How is the appeal on the African people's behalf, requesting affordable medicine and availability to those most in need, being addressed in today's mission on the fight against AIDS"?

GAYLE: Well, it think that's an important point. As we know, the epidemic in other parts of the world, particularly sub-Saharan Africa, is devastating in many countries. And so there is a lot of effort now to really work with those countries, not only to get better access to medicine, but also to make sure that programs that reduce the spread, first and foremost, are in place, and the toll of new infections can be reduced. And at the same time, building systems that allow for better access to therapies.

So, all of that is very important, but it needs to be a comprehensive approach that balances prevention efforts along with access to care and treatment.

PHILLIPS: All right, we've got another one. Dale Friesen wants to know, "What are the most promising avenues of research into the AIDS virus with regard to the creation of a vaccine"?

GAYLE: Well, I think what's going on in vaccine development is very exciting. There are, without going into all the technical details, there are a variety of different ways in which people are looking at developing a vaccine.

This is going to be a very, very important additional piece of our armamentarium to fight this epidemic. Getting a vaccine has always been the way that we've had the most impact on diseases caused by virus, like HIV. And so I think that we will see an HIV vaccine. It won't be tomorrow, it will still be several years, but all the progress that's being made today will assure that we will have a vaccine in the near future. And I think we have to make sure that we mobilize to have systems in place to be able to get it to the people who need it the most.

PHILLIPS: And that's been an issue, about the generics and the drugs in Africa, is getting them to the people.

GAYLE: Getting them to the people who need them most and getting it there in a safe and dependable way.

PHILLIPS: Dr. Helene Gayle at the CDC. Thanks so much. Good luck with your conference.

GAYLE: Thanks.

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