For over 20 years, NCAP has been the community-based organization that has led the response to HIV and AIDS in Northern Colorado. The agency has evolved according to the needs of people living with HIV and AIDS, along with adapting to public policy and attitudes towards the disease.

NCAP is the only AIDS service organization in 16,000 square miles that provides comprehensive medical case management and prevention education/outreach services, including confidential HIV testing. We have developed an extensive network of collaborative and cooperative service providers throughout our vast geographic rural/frontier service area to ensure HIV/AIDS care and prevention remain in our local communities.

There are an estimated 1.1 million Americans living with HIV as of 2006⁶. In that same year, approximately 56,300 Americans became newly infected with HIV⁶. Between 2002 and 2006, over 500,000 Americans died of AIDS-related causes⁶. While the nature of knowing the real number of HIV-positive people makes precise numbers almost impossible, the numbers unarguably demonstrate that HIV is still very much a problem in the United States.

 

In Colorado, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) reported 6,102 Coloradoans living with HIV, 4,511 living with AIDS, and  289 new infections occurring between October 2007 and September 2008⁷. The Colorado AIDS Project estimates that over 15,000 Coloradoans have HIV/AIDS but have not been tested⁸. In the eight counties in NCAP’s service area (Larimer, Weld, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Yuma, Washington, and Logan counties), the CDPHE reported 366 total HIV/AIDS cases⁸.