HIV Tracking
Re “Bill Creating System to Track HIV Is Vetoed,” Oct. 1:
Shame on the lame duck! Pete Wilson chose to veto AB 1663 despite the fact that it was supported by the California Medical Assn. and the California Conference of Local Health Officers. Now, instead of providing a model for other states and demonstrating leadership and sensitivity to discrimination, we are without a method for reporting HIV.
With the changing face of the epidemic and effective drug therapy, counting AIDS cases does not provide us with the needed data for predicting care needs and for effective prevention. State and federal funding need to be based on a reporting system that reflects reality.
I sincerely hope our next governor will provide the needed leadership and quickly address this issue so we can get on with the business of fighting HIV and not the people with HIV.
PEARL JEMISON-SMITH
Garden Grove
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