WASHINGTON –The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has partnered with Greater Than AIDS to provide information about HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention at 18 LGBT Pride festivals across the country this summer. The partnership builds on the Greater Than AIDS Speak Out campaign, launched last year, to engage the LGBT community in response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic and to confront the silence and stigma that too often surrounds this disease.
Leveraging its wide reach and network of volunteers, HRC will distribute more than 31,000 co-branded materials, including information guides, buttons, and other HIV-themed giveaways, developed with Greater Than AIDS, at HRC Pride booths in some of the communities hit hardest by the epidemic, including Nashville, TN; Baltimore, MD; Columbus, OH; Knoxville, TN; Cleveland, OH; Harlem, NY; Houston, TX; San Antonio, TX; Charlotte, NC; Oakland, CA; Atlanta, GA; Dallas, TX; San Diego, CA; Orlando, FL; and Memphis, TN.
Gay and bisexual men and transgender women remain disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS, representing a majority of new infections, with rising rates among young gay and bisexual men of color. In major U.S. cities today, it is estimated that about one in five gay and bisexual men – and more than one in four Black gay and bisexual men – is HIV-positive. Too many are unaware of their status.
“Thirty years ago, the LGBT community mobilized to decrease HIV infections dramatically, and worked to save lives and care for one another when no one else would,” said Jeff Krehely, HRC vice president and chief foundation officer. “Now it’s time to summon the power of our community to change the history of HIV once again. With recent advances in prevention and treatment options, this can be done. The time for speaking out, reducing stigma and taking action is now.”
There are more tools available today to prevent and treat HIV than ever before. Early diagnosis and treatment are critical to improving, extending, and helping prevent the spread of the disease. People with HIV who take their medications regularly can reduce the chance of transmitting the virus by as much as 96 percent.
A new HRC/Greater Than AIDS co-branded resource provides HIV/AIDS information tailored to the community, including about PrEP – pre-exposure prophylaxis – a one pill, once-daily prescription medication to reduce risk of infection. Given the overwhelming effectiveness of PrEP, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued new clinical guidelines encouraging its use for those at significant risk for HIV.
“We are thrilled to be working with HRC. Through our partnership we hope to encourage more conversations about HIV/AIDS and provide the tools and resources that will end this epidemic,” said Tina Hoff, Senior vice president and director, Health Communication and Media Partnerships, Kaiser Family Foundation, a co-founding partner of Greater Than AIDS.
For more information about the partnership, visit www.greaterthan.org/HRC.
