Foreword
The United States has made significant progress in its two-decade battle against AIDS. Powerful new drug combinations, known as "cocktails," have extended the lives of those infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, resulting in fewer deaths. According to the Kaiser Foundation, about 1.1 million people were estimated to be living with HIV or AIDS in 2005 — a 21 percent increase since 1996, when the antiretroviral therapy became available. Many challenges remain, however. Although the decrease in the number of AIDS deaths continues, the number of U.S. diagnoses increased 8 percent from 2000 to 2004.In addition, the disease…
