Positively Aware

“If surveillance is not built on the core principles of informed consent, bodily autonomy and sufficient privacy protections, it increases the risk that people’s private information will be publicly exposed or used against them,” says HIV BASIC. positivelyaware.com/hiv-basic-coll…

“HIV has too often been framed as somebody else’s issue,” writes social worker Ebony C. Barney, MPH, MSW, LSW, CPH. positivelyaware.com/black-social-w…

Aging and HIV service organizations must build the knowledge, policies and partnerships needed to ensure older adults living with HIV feel seen, understood and supported, writes HIV advocate @JaxKellyPSP. positivelyaware.com/a-referral-is-…

Could people with HIV lose Medicaid coverage because of new work requirements? Advocates say a new federal rule could make it harder for people living with HIV to qualify for exemptions Congress intended for those who are “medically frail.” positivelyaware.com/interim-final-…

New governing rules for the CDC’s vaccines committee could undermine the panel’s authority and make it vulnerable to politics, says a statement by a group of medical organizations, led by @IDSAInfo. positivelyaware.com/new-acip-chart…

Ahead of #NationalHIVTestingDay—Saturday, June 27—a new report from @AIDSVu finds a record 644,170 people were on PrEP in the U.S. last year. But the growth 2024–2025 was the slowest in the past 5 years and access and uptake are still far too uneven. positivelyaware.com/new-prepvu-data

In a new First Person commentary for the magazine, #HIV health equity advocate Von Biggs argues that addressing social influences of health requires integrated care, community leadership and a willingness to share power. positivelyaware.com/social-influen…

The FDA could decide by early February whether to approve the first once-weekly pill for HIV prevention. It could offer an alternative to daily PrEP pills and long-acting injections that come with their own logistical and clinical considerations. positivelyaware.com/weekly-prep-pi…

Lenacapavir, the twice-yearly injectable for #HIV prevention, is being rolled out across low-income countries at unprecedented speed. But are supply, funding and transparency keeping pace with demand? @TimMurphyNYC reports for PA. positivelyaware.com/LEN-access-and…

Although Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, many enslaved people in Texas didn’t learn they were free until June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston, announcing it to all. #Juneteenth reminds us that freedom & equality must reach everyone.

“Behind every policy debate are real people trying to live healthy and authentic lives,” says @LambdaLegal’s José Abrigo. Kudos to @TimMurphyNYC for his report for PA. positivelyaware.com/ryan-white-tra…

Positively Aware wants to know, How do you take control of your HIV care? Share your answer in the comments or by direct message. Select responses will appear in the next issue of PA.

Access to care and medication should remain stable for people with HIV in Texas at least through next June, says advocate Steven Vargas in a commentary for PA. But like many states, Texas is projecting a budget shortfall. positivelyaware.com/on-the-horizon

Said one of the protesters released after his arrest: “We wanted to have Rubio hear that people are still thinking about #PEPFAR—and that people overseas are dying” because of the Trump administration’s dismantling of U.S. global health programs. positivelyaware.com/10-activists-a…

Advocates are concerned that even though HIV meds are not impacted, the cuts could undermine adherence for Missourians with HIV. And with the state legislature adjourned for the year, a legislative solution is unlikely for now. positivelyaware.com/missouri-suspe…

The new budget provides $75 million for ADAP, maintains income eligibility at 400% of FPL and restores Biktarvy. But no premium assistance & direct-dispense enrollment capped at 21,000. Florida governor Ron DeSantis is expected to sign the bill into law. positivelyaware.com/new-florida-bu…

The FDA has approved Idvynso, which combines 2 drugs made by Merck—doravirine (which has been available for several years under the brand name Pifeltro) + islatravir, the first of a new drug class, nucleoside reverse transcriptase translocation inhibitors. positivelyaware.com/fda-approves-i…

Immigration raids, funding cuts and fear are disrupting HIV care for Latina/o communities. In a commentary for PA, Carlos Saldana Ochoa, MD, describes how missed appointments, detention and research instability threaten decades of HIV progress. positivelyaware.com/when-fear-disr…

A pediatric formulation of ViiV’s HIV medication Dovato has been submitted to the FDA and European regulators for review. If approved, this version of the two-drug once-daily regimen could be used as treatment for children as young as 3 months old. positivelyaware.com/dovato-pediatr…

“The silence still happens. But I no longer see it as something to push through or fill.” Advocate Von Biggs writes about #HIV disclosure, stigma, advocacy and the moments when silence becomes possibility in a new First Person commentary for the magazine. positivelyaware.com/after-the-sile…