“California already has the second highest prevalence rate of HIV infection in the nation and the impact on our community is grossly disproportionate. Seventy-three percent of those living with HIV/AIDS in California are gay or bisexual men (of all races and ethnicities).
“With an unemployment rate over 11% and a growing number of uninsured people, these cuts could not come at a worse time and are so severe that they even eliminate funding for viral load testing! Expecting us to provide appropriate medical care to people with HIV and AIDS without the ability to do viral load testing is like expecting a surgeon to remove a tumor without being allowed to do an x-ray or MRI to determine its location. It’s outrageous!” – Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center director Lorri Jean, on Schwarzenegger cuts to the California’s HIV/AIDS programs.
RELATED: Visit Rex Wockner’s blog for an important collection of quotes and statements from various HIV/AIDS organizations on the issue of cutting funds for viral load testing.