HIV Treatment Cascade (Fall 2012)

As ALRP approaches its 30th year of service, it is important to remember the challenges we face at home in the U.S. in addressing the HIV epidemic.

The federal government has developed a new tool called the HIV Treatment Cascade, designed to visually show the number of HIV+ individuals in the U.S. who are fully benefiting from the medical care and treatment available. With each step of the cascade, a significant number of people drop off. Only a minority of persons actually achieve suppression of their viral infection.

Of the 1.1 million people living with HIV in the U.S., only 82% have actually been diagnosed, only 66% have been linked to care, only 33% have been prescribed antiretroviral therapy, and only 25% are virally suppressed. This means that only 25% of the more than one million HIV+ people in the U.S. are getting the care they need to manage the disease. Three out of every four people are not getting the treatment they need.

Thirty years into this epidemic we know that it takes more than just a simple pill; it takes an array of supportive services to get people into treatment and to keep them healthy.

ALRP’s legal services are a necessary component of the continuum of care. Every day we make a difference in the lives of our clients living with HIV. Our recent efforts include securing housing for a 70-year-old homeless man, winning political asylum for an immigrant fleeing persecution in Honduras, and obtaining disability benefits for a man whose insurance company denied his claim.

With ALRP on their side, clients can resolve their legal issues and better maintain their overall health.

Bill Hirsh, Esq.
ALRP Executive Director