CONNECTIONS
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Director's Update

March - April 2015

On February 2, 2015, President Obama submitted his proposed fiscal year (FY) 2016 budget to Congress, requesting $1.162 billion for NCHHSTP programs. This funding level includes an increase of $44 million over the FY 2015 Enacted amount, reflecting the Administration’s continued support of our Center’s disease prevention efforts in viral hepatitis, HIV, STDs, and TB. The proposal would boost funding for CDC activities aligned with the HHS action plan, Combating the Silent Epidemic of Viral Hepatitis. Other funding increases would go to CDC programs to implement the president’s National HIV/AIDS Strategy and school-based HIV prevention activities. The proposed FY 2016 figures for STD and TB prevention are level with FY 2015 amounts, allowing us to continue critical efforts to address STDs among vulnerable populations and reduce the incidence of TB in the United States. The budget request also continues funding to promote program collaboration and service integration, prevention through healthcare, and high-impact prevention approaches to policy, program, and research. If enacted, this budget would strongly support our efforts toward national public health goals, and we look forward to working with you to achieve this potential.

Better HIV Care Could Prevent Most Transmissions

More than 90 percent of new HIV infections in the United States could be prevented by getting more people living with HIV diagnosed and receiving regular care and treatment. This result was published recently by NCHHSTP and Emory University researchers in JAMA Internal Medicine. The researchers applied statistical models to data on behavior and viral suppression from HIV surveillance and the CDC Medical Monitoring Project to estimate the number of HIV transmissions attributable to persons with HIV at different steps along the care continuum. Those with HIV who are unaware of their infection status account for roughly one-third of new HIV transmissions. The transmission rate drops by 19% after testing and diagnosis, and by 94% among those who are taking ART and have achieved suppression of their virus. HIV testing opens the door for prevention, and CDC is working to make testing as simple and accessible as possible. The bottom line: we could prevent the vast majority of new infections tomorrow by improving the health of people living with HIV today.

STD Awareness Month: Get Yourself Tested Campaign

April is STD Awareness Month, and we want to make sure our NCHHSTP partners have the tools to share information about STDs and STD testing with constituents. Half of the estimated 20 million new STDs in the United States each year occur among young people – many of whom have misperceptions about how to prevent and treat these infections. Get Yourself Tested (GYT) is a youth-oriented campaign designed to encourage young people to get tested and treated for STDs and HIV. GYT materials – including posters, stickers, and postcards – are available for display in schools, clinics, community organizations, and health departments to increase knowledge about STDs. Partners can also use these materials to promote their own GYT testing events. GYT is a collaborative effort between the American College Health Association, Kaiser Family Foundation, National Coalition of STD Directors, MTV, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America, with technical consultation provided by CDC. Visit www.cdc.gov/gyt for more information about the GYT campaign.