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This measure would proclaim June 27, 2018, as HIV Testing Day in California and would encourage Californians to learn their HIV statuses.

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WHEREAS, The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone between 13 and 64 years of age, inclusive, get tested for HIV at least once as part of routine health care, and that people at higher risk get tested more often; and

WHEREAS, The Office of AIDS in the State Department of Public Health estimates that there are between 26.2 and 28.3 million Californians who should receive an HIV test at least once in their lives. According to population-based surveys, less than 41 percent of Californians have had an HIV test; and

WHEREAS, According to the Office of AIDS, about one in 10 people in California who are living with HIV do not know they have it; and

WHEREAS, Performing routine HIV testing in health care settings can decrease the proportion of people unaware of their HIV statuses; and

WHEREAS, As of January 1, 2014, California law generally requires that an opt-out HIV test be offered whenever blood is drawn at a primary care visit; and

WHEREAS, In 2015, there were 4,948 new HIV diagnoses in California; and

WHEREAS, In 2015, the rate of new HIV diagnoses among African Americans was more than four times the rate of whites, and the rate of new HIV diagnoses among Latinos was 1.5 times that of whites; and

WHEREAS, In 2015, approximately three-quarters of new HIV infections were among gay and bisexual men; and

WHEREAS, Transgender individuals, particularly transgender women of color, are disproportionately impacted by HIV; and

WHEREAS, From 2011 through 2015, the number of persons in California living and diagnosed with HIV increased from approximately 118,000 to more than 128,000; and

WHEREAS, In California, African Americans are disproportionately represented among those living and diagnosed with HIV; and

WHEREAS, In 2015, more than 1.1 million people in the United States were living with HIV, and that number grows by more than 37,000 each year; and

WHEREAS, One in seven people living with HIV in the United States are unaware their statuses, and three in 10 new HIV infections in the United States are transmitted by people who are undiagnosed; and

WHEREAS, More than 90 percent of new HIV infections in the United States could be prevented by testing and diagnosing people who have HIV and ensuring they receive prompt and ongoing care and treatment; and

WHEREAS, National HIV Testing Day is held on June 27, 2018, and should serve as an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of HIV testing and early diagnosis of HIV; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature recognizes the importance of getting tested for HIV; and be it further

Resolved, That the Legislature proclaims June 27, 2018, as HIV Testing Day in California and encourages Californians to get the facts and learn their HIV statuses; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.