America Living With AIDS

encouraged, and supported. In designing services, community-based organizations and their programs must be accountable, yet they must be afforded sufficient
flexibility to implement programs that will best serve communities in need.
6. Policies should be developed now to address future plans for the distribution of
AIDS vaccines and the ethical and liability issues that will arise when vaccines
become available.
7. The federal government should expand drug abuse treatment so that all who
apply for treatment can be accepted into treatment programs. The federal government should also continually work to improve the quality and effectiveness
of drug abuse treatment.
8. Legal barriers to the purchase and possession of injection equipment should be
removed.
Legal barriers do not reduce illicit drug injection. They do, however, limit the
availability of new, clean injection equipment, thereby encouraging the sharing of
injection equipment, and the increase in HIV transmission.
CARING FOR PEOPLE WITH HIV DISEASE
1. Government should assure access to a system of health care for all people with
HIV disease.
At a minimum, a system of care for all people with HIV disease should include a
package of continuous and comprehensive medical and social services designed
to enhance quality of life and minimize hospital-based care. States, counties, and
municipalities should assure that such services are available for individuals with
HIV disease. Case management programs should be available to coordinate such
care. These services must include:
* HIV antibody testing that is voluntary and must be accompanied by counseling-both anonymous and confidential testing contribute in different ways
and both options should be available;
* education and counseling to help foster and maintain behavioral changes to
reduce transmission of the virus;
* medical care, including drug therapy and frequent diagnostic monitoring,
ongoing primary care, coordination of inpatient and outpatient care, access
to investigational new therapies, and adequate options for long-term care;
* psychological care, including mental health counseling and spiritual support,
that is helpful in coping with a frightening and sometimes overwhelming
condition;

128