Funding for screening and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has come under attack from some members of Congress. The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the HIV Medicine Association of IDSA (HIVMA) believe this funding is a critical reinvestment in our public health infrastructure. Investing in prevention now saves taxpayers money later. Singling out STD prevention funding for criticism is an ideological attack that is not rooted in public health reality.

 

Some may not like to talk about it, but sexually transmitted diseases are among the most common infections in the United States—19 million per year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDC estimates STDs cost the U.S. health care system as much as $15 billion annually. As many as 21 percent of all persons in the United States infected with HIV are unaware of their infection, preventing them from seeking lifesaving medical care and increasing their risk of infecting others. Communities that already are struggling with financial hardships and limited access to health care, including minority communities, are also the most heavily affected by STDs and HIV. The recession is likely to make matters worse.

 

Our public health infrastructure is eroding due to years of neglect. Reinvestment in the health of our workforce is as vitally important as investment in our roads and bridges and will bring economic benefits in terms of improved productivity and reduced costs to the health care system. Funding for STD and HIV prevention is one of the many worthwhile prevention provisions to shore up our crumbling public health system included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, such as newborn screening, immunizations, and smoking cessation. Discriminating against funding for STD and HIV prevention for ideological reasons ignores the significant public health and financial burden they place on our society. The new administration has pledged to return science to its rightful place in public policy. In that spirit, we urge Congress to support funding for STD and HIV prevention.

HIVMA is the professional home for more than 3,600 physicians, scientists and other health care professionals dedicated to the field of HIV/AIDS. Nested within the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), HIVMA promotes quality in HIV care and advocates policies that ensure a comprehensive and humane response to the AIDS pandemic informed by science and social justice. IDSA is a professional society representing more than 8,600 physicians and scientists who specialize in infectious diseases.