CDC’s Division of HIV Prevention Is Under Attack! We Must Fight Back

We have heard very unfortunate news that there is an effort underfoot to completely eliminate CDC’s Division of HIV Prevention as quickly as within the next 24 hours. 

We must take action now. There is no time to waste. 

As part of the Trump administration’s efforts to cut programs and personnel, they’re eliminating any chance we have to end the HIV epidemic in the U.S. by dismantling critical prevention efforts. This unconscionable decision would place all of our progress in reducing new HIV transmissions at risk and fly in the face of decades of bipartisan federal HIV policy, including the Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative that President Trump created. 

Pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and preventive services are critical to ending the HIV epidemic. 

Here are the facts:

• Prevention provides a huge return on investment. A lifetime of medical costs for a person with HIV can be in excess of $500,000 (adjusted for inflation).
• The flagship Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program cannot pick up the slack of these lost resources. The Program cannot cover prevention services.
• Prevention programming currently supported by CDC will either be lost completely or passed onto the states to cover. State budgets are tight and it’s likely states cannot afford to replace these lost resources.

If we don’t stop this massive attack on HIV prevention, there will be a resurgence of this preventable disease, many people will become unnecessarily sick, and it will result in millions of dollars in costs to taxpayers.

Please call your Senators and Representatives and tell them to do everything they can to stop these cuts. Find your elected officials by calling the US Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 (Senate); 202-225-3121 (House).

You can use the call script below when you call!

Call-In Sample Script

Hello,

My name is _________, I am one of your constituents. I live in _________ and my zipcode is _________.

I’m reaching out to speak to you about some extremely distressing reports I have been hearing that The Trump Administration is planning to completely eliminate the CDC’s Division of HIV Prevention, as quickly as within the next 24 hours.

If the Trump Administration were to follow through on this it would destroy any chance we have to end the HIV epidemic in the U.S., dismantling critical prevention efforts and leading to an unnecessary resurgence of this preventable disease.

The work of the CDC Division of HIV Prevention is essential and it is not something that can be covered by the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program or by state budgets. If this funding is cut, the services it funds will not be replaced, meaning more people will contract HIV, more people will get sick, and more people will die.

I urge you to publicly condemn the proposed elimination of the CDC’s Division of HIV Prevention and to demand that the Trump Administration honor its past commitments to ending the HIV epidemic in the US.

Thank you for your time. If needed, I can best be reached at _________ [preferred contact information].