FILE NUMBER........

Whereas, The residents of the State of Nevada are its most precious

resource, and all Nevadans are an integral part of the communities of this

state and make a valuable contribution to society as a whole; and

Whereas, Nevada ranks 17th in the nation in reported cases of acquired

immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS); and

Whereas, Young persons under the age of 25 years represent one-half

of all new infections from exposure to the human immunodeficiency virus

(HIV) in the United States; and

Whereas, The future of this state lies in its young residents, and the

benefit of having young Nevadans continue in the work force with

additional years of earning potential and other sociological contributions is

incalculable; and

Whereas, Among persons between the ages of 25 and 44 years,

HIV/AIDS is the second leading cause of death; and

Whereas, In 1997, there were 8,086 children under the age of 13 years

infected; and

Whereas, Women now account for 16 percent of all cases of AIDS;

and

Whereas, Female adolescents and young women under the age of 25

years are at an even higher risk for HIV infection; and

Whereas, At the end of 1997, Nevada had the highest incidence of

AIDS in the western states for both men and women, even higher than the

rate of incidence in California; and

Whereas, In 1997 and 1998, deaths in Nevada attributed to AIDS

declined primarily because of the heroic efforts of scientists, health care

professionals and persons living with HIV/AIDS; and

Whereas, Patients respond best to therapy early in the course of their

HIV infection when they are still healthy and able to work; and

Whereas, Research related to AIDS has resulted in new treatments that

are prolonging the lives of many Nevadans living with the disease, and

although the cost of such drug therapy is high, these dollars are more than

compensated for by shorter hospital stays and decreased outpatient care

costs; and

Whereas, The AIDS epidemic is far from over, with new infections in

Nevada every year, and in the absence of a cure or vaccine, education is the

only defense against this disease; and

Whereas, The observance of HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is an

opportunity to enhance tolerance, increase compassion and promote

understanding of persons infected with HIV/AIDS while communicating

information about the prevention of this epidemic; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of Nevada, the Senate

Concurring, That the members of the 70th session of the Nevada

Legislature do hereby designate March 24, 1999, as HIV/AIDS Awareness

Day in the State of Nevada; and be it further

Resolved, That the Nevada Legislature recognizes the debilitating

effects of HIV/AIDS on the residents of Nevada and their families and

supports the efforts of those local, state and community-based agencies that

are endeavoring to reduce the occurrences of HIV/AIDS among Nevadans.

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