HIV funding, both on a national and international scale, is a significant issue to many of us within the queer community. Sadly, far too many of us have been personally touched by this. While even the current administration has increased the budget for funding health care, housing and cash assistance, and prevention, there are many problems with the current funding strategies, both within the US and outside its borders.How does funding play out in your neighborhood and your community? First, the good news: funding has increased from 2006 to 2007, in nearly every budget area, from providing for health care to housing and cash assistance.  Unfortunately, there is somewhat more bad news than good. Funding is not adequate to provide for even the basic needs created by this epidemic, with long waitlists for medications, struggles with Medicaid payments for health care providers and more. Moreover, again the current administration’s emphasis on abstinence only sex education, which fails both straight and queer young people,  has left some youth without the prevention information that they critically need. Some 50% of new infections are diagnosed in people under 25, and new CDC testing recommendations for routine HIV testing are likely to stretch an already tight budget even further.

The US is responsible for a significant portion of the international funding, under the heading of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). US funding, currently in the amount of 3.9 billion dollars earmarked for international HIV funding, comes with some strings attached. The most worrisome of these is a requirement that some 33% of funding go to abstinence only resources. This is, without a doubt, one of the most significant flaws in the overall plan for international funding a response to this crisis, as well as one of the major problems with funding for prevention programs in the US as well.

Need more information?

• Kff.org/hivaids/7029.cfm offers breakdowns of US budget funding for HIV in 2007 and prior years.
• Gmhc.org/policy/federal/pres_report.pdf will give you a look at where the current presidential candidates stand on funding issues.
• Whitehouse.gov/infocus/hivaids offers more information on PEPFAR.
• Avert.org/aidsmoney.htm provides a practical breakdown of funding for the international HIV crisis.
• Apa.org/releases/sexeducation.html details the flaws in abstinence only sex education with regard to prevention efforts.

If you want to help, consider consulting your local organizations that assist those in your community with HIV or AIDS. Many of the community based grassroots organizations in our communities need help, not only in terms of funding, but also are on the lookout for willing volunteers. While no one of us can end the crisis on an international scale, we can work locally in prevention and advocacy.