ASIAN & PACIFIC ISLANDER AND TRANSGENDER COMMUNITIES FACE HEALTH CARE CRISIS AS GOVERNOR VETOES HIV/AIDS SERVICES

SAN FRANCISCO, CA—On Tuesday, July 28, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger took drastic steps to close the unprecedented $24.3 billion budget gap facing California by ending state General Fund support for various HIV prevention, education, and care programs, as well as other services that support those living with HIV/AIDS, such as in-home supportive services and Medi-Cal. By vetoing funding for these services, the Governor has left California’s health care safety net threadbare.

These cuts are particularly problematic for communities of color, including Asians and Pacific Islanders (A&PIs). According to Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center, these cuts will diminish their capacity to serve A&PIs, who comprise San Francisco’s largest minority community. The transgender community, an often ignored and highly marginalized group, will also be adversely affected.

HIV/AIDS is highly stigmatized in the A&PI community; respect for traditional family and community norms, beliefs about health and illness, as well as a lack of culturally and/or linguistically competent HIV/AIDS testing and treatment sites all lead to delays in HIV testing. It is estimated that over half of Pacific Islanders and two-thirds of Asians have never been tested for HIV; 1 in 5 people who are living with HIV don’t know they have HIV. Though A&PIs make up only 1% of HIV infections nationally, this proportion is expected to rise as the population increases. In San Francisco, 5% of current HIV/AIDS cases are A&PIs, nearly 800 individuals. It is also estimated that as many as 27% of male-to-female transgenders are HIV positive.

Programs specifically designed to find and test those with HIV have been cut by a total of $32.9 million. The number of testing counselors who are certified to test, provide risk reduction education, and refer those that do test positive to treatment will be significantly reduced. By cutting general fund support for these programs, seen as a model of prevention worldwide, the Governor risks a public health crisis, as those who are HIV-positive and don’t know it could unwittingly spread the disease.

The Governor is gambling with the lives of those living with HIV but are the most in need. By eliminating the Therapeutic Monitoring Program which monitors HIV resistance to drugs, doctors will be unable to provide timely and targeted treatment. Also cut are services helping those who are receiving treatment at home through case management and residential care facilities; Medi-Cal and in-home supportive services have also been cut. By cutting general fund support for these services, the Governor risks the lives of nearly 20,000 people living with HIV/AIDS.

In addition, the California Statewide Treatment and Education Program (CSTEP) stands to be eliminated completely. The program, led by A&PI Wellness Center, is a treatment education and certification program for those working with people living with HIV/AIDS, with a focus on communities of color and rural regions. By cutting this program, the state risks diminishing the standard of care and continuing education of HIV/AIDS service providers. Vital information and care will be denied to the very communities who already suffer from limited access—communities of color and rural communities.

Ultimately, the entire state loses with these budget cuts. Californians will lose access to free HIV testing, possibly putting the public at risk. The number of those who are HIV positive will likely rise and as those numbers rise, and available treatment and support resources disappear; more people will die.

A&PI Wellness Center appeals to the California Legislature to override the Governor’s draconian veto. California has led the way in HIV education, prevention, and care for the last twenty years. We ask the legislature to keep the state on the right path rather than turn its back on thousands of Californians living with HIV/AIDS, and putting thousands more at risk.

About Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center A&PI Wellness Center’s mission is to educate, support, empower and advocate for Asian & Pacific Islander communities, particularly A&PIs living with or at risk for HIV/AIDS. With three sites in the San Francisco Bay Area and a staff fluent in 20 languages, A&PI Wellness Center delivers programs regionally, statewide, and nationally, and collaborates with community-based organizations throughout the Asia Pacific Region. For press materials or more information please visit www.apiwellness.org.

Read more:

SF Gate: California could have $15 billion shortfalls (July 31, 2009)

BAR: Advocates fear spike in HIV due to CA budget cuts (July 30, 2009)

CA Progress Report: Legislators Challenge Governor Over ‘Crippling, Cascading’ AIDS Cuts (July 2009)