Friends Against AIDS

Friends Against AIDS (FAA) is an auxiliary group to the University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital committed to eliminating pediatric HIV/AIDS in the Chicago area through treatment and prevention programs. In addition to providing direct support of children's medical care, FAA organizes and underwrites Children's Programming events to help enrich and improve the quality of life for the children and families served.

Although the AIDS epidemic is far from over, new antiretroviral drugs, and other improvements in healthcare have increased the life expectancy and quality of life for HIV-infected children dramatically. Children who might not have lived past early childhood can now be anticipated to live healthy adult lives. Similarly, women with HIV, who once faced the grim prospect of a 30% chance of transmission of their infection to their child, have seen a reduction in the rate of vertical transmission to below 2%.

Despite these successes in the war against AIDS, our most effective weapon against the virus remains prevention of HIV transmission, which requires education and behavioral change. Misinformation and apathy about HIV, as well as stereotypes and prejudices about people with HIV, are the barriers that must be overcome if HIV transmission is to be prevented. Because children and adolescents are especially susceptible to HIV infection, and because they remain open to education and behavioral change, FAA, through its partnership with the University of Chicago, is committed to preventing HIV in young people. By engaging the youth of Chicago, FAA seeks to prevent HIV through education. FAA also works to improve care and acceptance of HIV-infected people through community dialogue and role modeling.

www.friendsagainstaids.com