May is Hepatitis Awareness Month, and May 19th will be recognized as the first ever Hepatitis Testing Day in the United States. During May, CDC and its public health partners will work to raise awareness of viral hepatitis and encourage testing for those who may be chronically infected. Viral hepatitis is a silent epidemic in the United States because more than 4 million Americans are living with chronic hepatitis B or chronic hepatitis C, and up to 75% don’t know they are infected.

There is a growing consensus that we can significantly curtail the HIV/AIDS pandemic by implementing scientifically proven HIV prevention strategies, such as voluntary medically supervised adult male circumcision, prevention of mother-to-child transmission and treatment as prevention. With 2.7 million new HIV infections in 2010 alone, however, it is likely that controlling and ultimately ending the HIV/AIDS pandemic will require an effective vaccine as well. This past year, there have been a number of encouraging findings on this front.

The White House LGBT Conference on Aging will provide advocates, community leaders, and members of the public an opportunity to engage with the Obama Administration on the health, housing, and security needs of aging members of the LGBT community. Participants will receive updates from senior officials from The White House and key agencies and departments, connect with Federal government resources and opportunities through workshop sessions, and provide valuable feedback through the "Open Space" process.

To register and learn more, visit: http://www.whitehouse.gov/webform/white-house-lgbt-conference-aging

New post on Health Datapalooza 2012! Love data and innovation? Check it out!

The White House is holding a National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day Event at the White House Wednesday March 14 at 8:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. Eastern. This event will highlight linkages between gender-based violence and HIV/AIDS.

This event will be livestreamed on www.whitehouse.gov/live. Follow the conversation from @PEPFAR and @AIDSgov on Twitter and use the hashtag #NWGHAAD.

Speakers at the event will include: Ambassador Eric Goosby, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, Melanne Verveer, Ambassador-at- Large for Global Women's Issues, Tina Tchen, Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, Gayle Smith, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director, National Security Council and Cecilia Muñoz, Director of the Domestic Policy Council.

Some of the speakers from the event will participate in Twitterchats during or immediately following the White House event. To learn about the Twitterchats, follow @PEPFAR and @AIDSgov. To tweet a question, use the hashtag #NWGHAAD.

I apologize for not posting any recent updates on Aimee. The past 48 hours have flown by like a whirlwind. Much has happened and my computer time has been extremely limited. I truly appreciate your patience and understanding.

Doctors say experimental embryonic stem cell therapy for 6-year-old Cash Burnaman's incurable condition has zero chance of effectiveness. So, why is he getting better?

Doctors say experimental stem cell therapy for 6-year-old Cash Burnaman's incurable condition has zero chance of effectiveness. So, why is he getting better?

I apologize for not posting any recent updates on Aimee. The past 48 hours have flown by like a whirlwind. Much has happened and my computer time has been extremely limited. I truly appreciate your patience and understanding.