The goal of this first comprehensive Southwestern PA HIV/AIDS NeedsAssessment was to determine how to better support the needs of people livingwith HIV/AIDS in the region. This assessment process included reviews ofother local relevant studies, administered surveys, and in-depth interviewswith people living with HIV. The assessment included input from 320 HIVpositive people in 12 counties of Southwestern PA.
Conducted by the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of PublicHealth and commissioned by PATF, the results of the first Needs AssessmentStudy of its kind highlights progress that has been made locally in themedical treatment of HIV/AIDS, but also identifies a widening of specificservice gaps, barriers and unmet needs of those who are now living longer withthe virus. According to estimates from the Southwestern PA AIDS PlanningCoalition, there are 3,600 individuals reported living with HIV/AIDS in theregion. Approximately 90 percent of these individuals live in AlleghenyCounty and 500 of them currently access services at the Pittsburgh AIDS TaskForce.
According to Dr. Susan Hunt, a pioneer in the treatment of local patientswith HIV/AIDS, "After two decades of treating thousands of patients, we areseeing a resurgence of infection among new patients, particularly with youngergay men and African American women. It is critical that this new generationof those exposed to this terminal condition educate themselves aboutprevention, early detection and testing and how to access medical and socialservice resources."
As a response to this benchmark assessment, and in anticipation of WorldAIDS Day on December 1st, PATF and the region's HIV/AIDS care experts arecalling for a coordinated response by government, non-profit and healthcaresectors to:
"This needs assessment validated what we have been experiencing in recentyears with regard to service to HIV/AIDS patients," said PATF ExecutiveDirector Kathi Boyle. "With all sectors working in concert, we must addressnewer generations of those who should be tested for HIV, get them intotreatment, and help them stay in treatment, which ultimately can prevent HIVtransmission, improve an individuals' health, and reduce overall healthcarecosts," says Boyle.
About PATF
The Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force (PATF) is dedicated to saving, sustainingand empowering the lives of individuals living with HIV/AIDS and preventingthe spread of infection. Founded in 1985, PATF is the oldest and largest AIDSservice organization in Southwestern Pennsylvania, serving eight counties, andproviding the region's most comprehensive HIV prevention and support services.
For more information on how HIV/AIDS is impacting our region, pleasecontact Kathi Boyle, Executive Director of Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force, at412-345-7456, or [email protected] Kathi Boyle, Executive Director of Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force -- Dr. Susan Hunt of the Pittsburgh AIDS Center for Treatment at UPMC -- Dr. Linda Frank of the PA/Mid-Atlantic AIDS Education and Training Center -- Dr. Jessica Griffin Burke, Assistant Professor, Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh -- Dr. Craig Fryer, Assistant Professor, Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, Assistant Director and Center for Minority Health, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh -- City of Pittsburgh Councilwoman Tonya Payne.
SOURCE Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force
