In honor of World AIDS Day, HRC released the following statement by Jeff Krehely, Vice President and Chief Foundation Officer:
“With significant medical breakthroughs since World AIDS Day was first conceived in 1987, our community should be well on the path toward ending HIV. Sadly, the reality is that incidence of HIV is on the rise among only one group that’s tracked in the U.S. – gay and bisexual men. For transgender people, the little data that exists indicates staggering rates – both in the U.S. and globally. And when you shine a spotlight on young people, on communities of color, on older generations, on people living in the American South, you start to see how much more has to be done to end the deep disparities in HIV prevention, treatment and care. This World AIDS Day, we recommit to work for those often forgotten in the battle against HIV.”
As part of these efforts, the HRC Foundation has released a new research brief entitled “Transgender People and HIV: What We Know” and will be featuring the stories of individuals living with HIV on the HRC blog throughout this week.
The HRC Foundation was recently awarded a grant from the Elton John AIDS Foundation for its continued efforts to increase HIV awareness, prevention and treatment among LGBT people.
Worlds AIDS Day is a United Nations and World Health Organization effort to marshal forces in the fight against HIV, and to support and secure treatment for those living with it. This year’s theme, “Focus, Partner, Achieve: An AIDS-free Generation,” is in keeping with the organizers’ ongoing “Getting to Zero” campaign.
