Pertinent statistics:
- Up to 7,000 Californians will become infected with HIV this year.
- Every 9 ½ minutes, someone in the United States is infected with HIV. More than 1.1 Americans are living with HIV, the highest number in the history of the epidemic.
- It is estimated that 1 in 5 people living with HIV in the United States does not know it.
- Teens and young adults, ages 13-29, account for more than one-third of all new infections, the largest share of any age group in the United States. Most young people are infected sexually.
- Worldwide, 60 million people have contracted HIV and 25 million have died of AIDS-related causes since the epidemic began nearly 30 years ago. Half of all new HIV infections globally are now among women.
San Francisco AIDS Foundation is working to end the AIDS in the city where it began with innovative programs for HIV prevention, care and treatment.
Through its nationally recognized programs and public policy efforts, the foundation is striving to radically reduce new HIV infections and ensure proper care for all HIV-positive San Franciscans.
With dramatic cuts in government funding for HIV prevention and education, organizations like San Francisco AIDS Foundation must heavily rely on private donations to pay for its prevention efforts.
AIDS/LifeCycle, the largest annual HIV/AIDS fundraiser in the world, raises more than $10 million a year for these critical services. The event also raises awareness about the devastating impact that the disease continues to have on our communities, especially in California.
More than 2,500 bicyclists and volunteer roadies, ranging in age from 18 to 82 and from nearly every state and seven countries, will leave from San Francisco on June 6 and travel 545 miles to arrive in Los Angeles on June 12.
Resources:
>> HIV and STD testing resources
>> San Francisco AIDS Foundation
>> AIDS/LifeCycle
>> The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
