Support ETHA

We are writing to show our support for and appreciation of your co-sponsorship of the Early HIV Treatment Act (ETHA). We believe it is imperative that people have access to medical care before HIV progresses to AIDS. Requiring HIV patients to develop full-blown AIDS and become legally disabled before providing them with treatment is illogical and should be considered a form of torture. By providing an opportunity for low-income individuals to have access to early medical treatment, ETHA will grant people a better quality of life.

We represent a diverse and concerned group of individuals who would like to see this bill passed:

Students of the Columbia University School of Social Work: We are committed to advocating for our clients right to medical attention. Many of our clients are low-income and most are people of color. Additionally, many rely on Medicaid in order to access necessary medical care.
People of Color: Although we may not all be affected directly by HIV/AIDS, we are indirectly affected as an increased numbers of people of color are contracting this disease. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), in 2004, approximately 70\% of adolescents and adults diagnosed with HIV were people of color.
Women: As women are highly susceptible to contracting HIV because of the following: biological factors, gender norms and dynamics including the difficulty some women experience in negotiating safer sex. According to the CDC, women accounted for 14\% of adolescents and adults living with AIDS in 1992. By the end of 2003, this percentage had ballooned to 22\%.

These are a few of the many disturbing HIV/AIDS statistics that demonstrates the urgent need for immediate action. Every day that ETHA is not passed, more people contract HIV, more people develop AIDS, more people are unable to access basic health care, and more people die. The time to act is now.

We thank you for your time and consideration, and we hope that you will continue to endorse ETHA.