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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The Illinois Department of Public Health has
3determined that African American and Latinx at-risk
4populations are among the five demographics selected for
5funding beginning early 2019 in support of Community
6Development initiatives; it is imperative that the voices of
7those most imminently affected by this crucial health issue be
8heard before any funding is considered; and
 
9    WHEREAS, The most recent and available statistics place HIV
10disease as one of the top five leading causes of death in
11African American women between the ages of 35 to 44 and the
12seventh ranking cause in African American women between the
13ages of 20 to 34; and
 
14    WHEREAS, According to the Chicago Department of Public
15Health, this city's African Americans are afflicted with more
16than half of the newly diagnosed HIV and AIDS cases;
17non-Hispanic African Americans were the most frequently
18diagnosed population, representing 58.5% of new HIV diagnoses,
1956.4% of AIDS diagnoses, and 55.2% of late diagnoses; and
 
20    WHEREAS, In 2016, the highest rates of new individual HIV
21infection diagnoses occurred in the predominantly African
22American neighborhoods of Douglas, Grand Boulevard, Kenwood,

 

 

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1North Lawndale, Washington Park, and West Garfield Park; and
 
2    WHEREAS, It is imperative that action be taken to halt new
3HIV infections among these demonstrably at-risk African
4American men and women, which continue at an alarming rate that
5exceeds 80% while new cases of infections among the
6corresponding at-risk Caucasian demographic have dramatically
7decreased to a current rate of less than 20%; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Hispanics/Latinos recently accounted for about
9one quarter of all new diagnoses of HIV in the United States,
10despite representing about 18% of the total U.S. population;
11and
 
12    WHEREAS, More than 20% of people living with HIV in the
13City of Chicago identify as Latinx, with the highest risk and
14most marginalized subpopulations (injection drug users, sexual
15and gender minorities, etc.) exclusively depending on
16indigenous-led and staffed organizations for services; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Young men ages 20 to 29, especially Black and
18Latino men who have sexual contact with men, also continue to
19make up the majority of new diagnoses, while transgender women,
20particularly those of color, also are disproportionately
21affected; the City of Chicago stated that these populations, as
22well as Chicagoans in some southern, western, and northern

 

 

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1community areas, continue to be "priority populations" for HIV
2prevention efforts; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Gay and bisexual men accounted for 85% (7,271) of
4the HIV diagnoses among Hispanic/Latino men in 2015, with
5indigenous-led organizations on the South and West sides of
6Chicago leading efforts for outreach and engagement with the
7highest risk individuals; and
 
8    WHEREAS, According to reporting by the Chicago Department
9of Public Health in 2016, gay, bisexual, and other men who have
10sex with men, particularly Latino men, bear a disproportionate
11burden of HIV; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Significant gaps in knowledge exist concerning
13HIV incidence and prevalence in the Latinx community,
14especially given the influx of evacuees into the city from
15Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria; therefore, be it
 
16    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
17HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
18we call upon the Director of the Illinois Department of Public
19Health to expeditiously participate in legislative public
20hearings, as well as hearings within the communities so
21affected, in order to provide expert and public testimony
22concerning the amelioration of this disturbing and reversible

 

 

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1public health threat; and be it further
 
2    RESOLVED, That we urge additional appropriations in State
3funding, along with any available federal dollars, to provide
4necessary preventative diagnostic and treatment services to
5mitigate the harmful effects of HIV among at-risk African
6American and Latinx populations; and be it further
 
7    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
8delivered to the Director of the Illinois Department of Public
9Health.