Obama administration unveils strategy against HIV/AIDS

In the global struggle against gender based violence and HIV/AIDS, the two are inextricably intertwined as pressing human rights and public health issues that cross race, class, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, age, and ability/disability.  Sexual violence increases a victim’s risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. Today, the Obama administration unveiled the national strategy to combat HIV/AIDS which includes:

• “Broad goals as well as dozens of directives for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and other federal agencies. Those steps include developing standards to evaluate care, investigating community programs to see whether they’re effective and simplifying grant applications.
• The Bureau of Prisons would expand HIV screening of inmates, and the Justice Department would fast-track investigations of discrimination involving those with HIV.”

One notable area of concern is that no additional federal funding has been allotted to support the National Strategy.

“With new infections exceeding 50,000 a year, there may not be enough money to help provide all patients with the drugs they need.  Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services announced an allocation of $25 million to help states in need.” – The Los Angeles Times

How, if at all, does your campus support efforts in making the link between sexual violence and HIV/AIDS, organizationally, campus-wide and with community partners?  When engaging in discussions surrounding the stigma and prejudice survivors of sexual violence experience, does HIV/AIDS ever come up as another layer of a public health concern?  How do your health and education partners integrate sexual violence and HIV/AIDS in prevention/education programming?

Resources

Click here to read the full National HIV/AIDS Strategy released by the White House.

The United Nations Development Fund For Women: Gender & HIV/AIDS