County of Santa Clara
Office of the County Executive
70 West Bedding Street, East Wing 11*** Floor
San Jose, CA 95110
(408)299-5119
www.sccgov.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DRAFT

August 29, 2006
Contact:

Gwendolyn Mitchell/Laurel Anderson
Office of Public Affairs

(408)299-5119

Board of Supervisors Approves Expansion
of HIV/AIDS Testing in Santa Clara County
Nearly 25% ofPeople Infected with HIV/AIDS Do Not Know
SAN JOSE, CA—In response to increasing rates of HIV infection in Santa Clara County, the Board
of Supervisors today approved plans to expand HIV/AIDS testing for high-risk populations in the
county. Once the plan is implemented, expanded testing will occur between January and October
2007.

The Center for Disease Control and local estimates show that approximately 25% ofthose living
with HIV/AIDS are unaware of their condition. In Santa Clara County that would be 898 people.
Testing more individuals to identify those who may not be aware oftheir status will enable them to
seek early treatment and supportive care.

There are two benefits from expanding our testing,” said Supervisor Jim Beall, Chair ofthe Santa
Clara County Board of Supervisors. “It will cut down the number of people who unknowingly infect
others. And it will help Santa Clara County to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS infection.”
The Public Health Department developed the HIV/AIDS Testing Expansion Implementation Plan,
working with the HIV Planning Council and the HIV Prevention Community Planning Group to
incorporate their knowledge and priorities into the plan. The goal ofthe program is to reduce the
prevalence and incidence of HIV/AIDS in at-risk residents through testing, counseling, referral and
treatment.
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Supervisors Approve Expanded HIV/AIDS Testing - Page 2

The community-based alternative-testing sites will use rapid testing technology to provide voluntary,
anonymous and confidential free HIV testing, with the goal of making rapid testing accessible to the
most at-risk populations in the county.

To begin implementing the program, the Public Health Department will select three to five
community-based organizations that are familiar with these at-risk populations. They will be
organizations that have roots in the community, knowledge and a relationship with the target
populations, and have the capacity to administer rapid HIV testing and provide counseling.

As part of the plan, the Board of Supervisors allocated $75,000 in funding for the Public Health
Department to conduct social marketing. More accurate numbers of those living with HIV/AIDS will

allow the County to receive appropriate federal and state funding for services.

“This effort will reach across cultural, economic and social boundaries,” said Supervisor Blanca
Alvarado, Vice Chair of the Health and Hospital Committee.

Priority at-risk populations for the new testing sites will include: men who have sex with men,

female sexual partners (often unsuspecting) of men who have sex with men, and transgender persons
and injection drug users. Within this population, target groups are people of color, sex workers and
youth. Geographic areas that have been identified as a priority are: the City of San Jose; North
County residents in Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Palo Alto and Los Altos, which make up the second
highest percentage of reported cases behind San Jose; and South County residents which currently
make up the smallest number of reported HIV cases to date.

Through the program, an additional four certified test counselors will provide counseling about high
risk behavior and administer rapid HIV/AIDS tests. Ifthe tests are positive, they will be sent to the
Public Health Laboratory for confirmation. Nearly 7,000 additional HIV/AIDS tests will be
conducted in the target population, of which an estimated 2%(140) is expected to test positive for
the HIV antibodies.

“Expanded testing is necessary to reach the 25% of the population unaware that they are infected
with HIV/AIDS,” said Santa Clara County Health Officer Marty Fenstersheib, MD, MPH.“You
can’t treat a condition unless you know it exists.”
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