Cost Effectiveness

            Preventing an HIV infection is extremely cost effective. Estimates indicate that prevention efforts have already averted between 204,000 and 1,585,000 HIV infections (32). As of 2006, the estimated savings per HIV infection prevented is $303,100. Preventing about 40,000 new infections in the United States would save an estimated 12.1 billion dollars annually in HIV medical costs (33). The data is clear: either money be spent on prevention now or much more will be spent on treatment later.

            The programs that should be implemented in New Hampshire branch off of already existing resources. The mandatory HIV/STD college testing of students would be done by their primary care physician during the student's physical for college. A variety of programs are already run through churches, so the administrative and location expenses are largely already paid for. The main expense related to program run through the black church is the cost of having a health official from the peer group lead the educational and intervention programs. Since these programs are not full time and Nashua and Portsmouth are within driving distance, the same health official could be used for both programs. This official would also be responsible for the education of some of the young adolescents in the urban areas of Manchester and Nashua. The expected cost

related to these programs is not expected to

exceed $100,000. Two other support staff positions are needed for the MSM and IDU programs. The staff person leading the MSM programs should identify with the MSM community. The staff person leading the IDU program ideally would have had experience with IDU in order to foster a more trusting relationships (28). The combined cost of these two programs is not expected to exceed $100,000. The total costs of these additional staff positions, materials, and resources is not expected to exceed $275,000, less than the cost of treating one person diagnosed with HIV.

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