Letter From the Editor

Dear Reader,

This is a very special issue of RITA! The publication has been produced since 1995, as the first program of The Center for AIDS: Hope and Remembrance Project (CFA). Since then, the publication has evolved from a treatment and research newsletter to a literature-review and HIV advocacy journal indexed by the National Library of Medicine in PubMed and subscribed to by thousands of individuals across the US and internationally. It is accessed online tens of thousands of times each year. Perhaps most importantly, it is still offered free of charge, thanks to the generous funders listed on the inside cover.

But Research Initiative/Treatment Action! is more than a publication. In many ways, it represents what The CFA is all about. In fact, people still call or e-mail us asking if "Rita" is available to answer some questions (probably because of the publication's e-mail address: rita@centerforaids.org)! RITA! is an essential component of The CFA's unique information, education, and advocacy work. It is an information medium, a sounding board and voice for advocacy, and a record of our epidemic.

This issue of RITA! reviews the past 10 years of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). In some ways, it is also a "year book" for The CFA, reflecting on the 10-year history of the organization, which was founded to combat a dearth of vital information, as well as an abundance of misconceptions and confusion, when new treatments started to become available to treat HIV/AIDS. In 2005, The CFA has been renamed as The Center for AIDS Information & Advocacy. The organization has a renewed mission and purpose to "empower people living with HIV to make informed decisions about their healthcare by providing the latest research and treatment information and by advocating for accessible, affordable, and effective treatment options until there's a cure." A decade of service and meeting new challenges in this epidemic has proven that we are in this for the long haul.

When Joel Martinez, my friend and mentor, hired me as editor at The CFA in the year 2000, I began a journey of personal and professional growth that centered on the premise that this epidemic must be conquered. We are on our way there, but (contrary to popular sentiment in the US) have not yet arrived. HAART has been an important stepping stone, but for the many reasons discussed in this issue, it is neither economically nor medically a long-term solution to the global pandemic. We must do better, and with commitment and vigilance, we shall.

RITA! was Joel's "baby," his dream. That dream did not die with Joel in November 2003. Rather it continues as strong as ever, with his memory driving The CFA forward. This issue of RITA! is dedicated to Joel. We know that HIV is still taking away our loved ones. We also know this disease is unlike any other because of stigma and marginalization, because of ignorance, and because of poverty. Times have certainly changed in HIV/AIDS since 1995, but the disease marches on, and so must we -- until there's a cure.