The Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) is currently developing a national AIDS strategy. ONAP is soliciting comments from the public. Click here to go directly to the ONAP site, which will be accepting comments until Monday, November 23.

Their goals include: reducing HIV incidence; increasing access to care and optimizing health outcomes; and reducing HIV-related health disparities.

We also encourage you to share your comments with us and we will share them with Jeff Crowley, ONAP's director. Click here to share your comments on POZ.com and to find out dates and locations of ONAP's town hall meetings.

Below are comments we've already received online about the national HIV/AIDS strategy:

Close the Medicare donut hole [and] change the asset limits on ADAP to no asset limits like many states so people can assure they have what they need for their later years without spending down and living without any safety net.

Kenneth
Location Withheld

No matter what group, need or issue there is pertaining to the AIDS epidemic, the one thing that should have been done foremost in this country was to educate this country. Educating should've been priority all along. Instead all was swept under the rug. Everybody has a story. All I want is educational facts and how exaggerated fear of infection is.

James Ozmun
Cleveland, Tennessee

As a regular volunteer for a major HIV/AIDS harm reduction for the past 5 years, the thing I've noticed is the lack of support for hetero females, period. Tired of $$ going towards pregnant women, specific female ethnic groups, etc. Women need help across the board!

Celestial
Freemont, California

What about new progressive policies like titration of drugs, over the counter rapid HIV testing for sale without a scrip, ARVs on demand for pre-exposure and open and honest discussions about stigma, shame and guilt connected to HIV-positive people. And of course the old policy of needle exchange and yes, the little travel ban issue.

Frederick Wright
Tampa, Florida

I realize that most of us became HIV infected as a result of our choices, but how can our government just take away any assistance that was giving us life. I was an IV drug user for 26 years, shame on me, today I celebrate over 5 years sobriety as well as 5 yr HIV diagnosis. Have been on meds for 2 years, but now Arkansas ADAP says I am too wealthy. Please, give me a break. I am a working person just getting by. Have been dropped from the program, no meds after 12/31. Am I supposed to just die?

Rene
Arkansas