HIV Tests And New Diagnoses Declined After California Budget Cuts But Reallocating Funds Helped Reduce Impact

摘要

Historically, California supplemented federal funding of HIV prevention and testing so that Californians with HIV could become aware of their infection and access lifesaving treatment. However, budget deficits in 2009 led the state to eliminate its supplemental funding for HIV prevention. We analyzed the impact of California’s HIV resource allocation change between 2009 and 2011 (state fiscal years). We found that HIV tests declined from 66,629 to 53,760 (19 percent) in local health jurisdictions with high HIV burden. In low-burden jurisdictions, HIV tests declined from 20,302 to 2,116 (90 percent). New HIV/AIDS diagnoses fell from 2,434 in 2009 to 2,235 in 2011 (calendar years) in high-burden jurisdictions and from 346 to 327 in low-burden ones. California’s budget crunch prompted state and local programs to redirect remaining HIV funds from risk reduction education to testing activities. Thus, the impact of the budget cuts on HIV tests and new HIV diagnoses was smaller than might have been expected given the size of the cuts. As California’s fiscal outlook improves, we recommend that the state restore supplemental funding for HIV prevention and testing.