October 1, 2009

Help Develop a National AIDS Strategy

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The Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) in the White House is drafting a national AIDS strategy. ONAP needs your help!

The three major goals of the strategy are: reducing HIV incidence; increasing access to care and optimizing health outcomes; and reducing HIV-related health disparities.

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.

ONAP is hosting HIV/AIDS Community Discussions (a.k.a. town halls) nationwide to seek input from people living with and affected by the virus in the creation of the strategy.

Here's the schedule (remaining dates are subject to change):

Atlanta, GA — Tuesday, August 25
Washington, DC — Wednesday, September 21
Minneapolis, MN — Friday, Oct. 2
Albuquerque, NM — Friday, Oct. 9
Houston, TX — Saturday, Oct. 10
San Francisco, CA — Friday, Oct. 16
Los Angeles, CA — Sunday, Oct. 18
Columbia, SC — Monday, Oct. 26
Oakland, CA — Sunday, Nov. 1
Virgin Islands — Monday, Nov. 9
Jackson, MS — Monday, Nov. 16
Ft. Lauderdale, FL — Friday, Nov. 20
New York City, NY — Friday, Dec. 4
Puerto Rico — Monday, Dec. 14

Click here for pre-registration to attend.

If you can't attend in person, please share your questions and concerns with us by leaving a comment below.

We will collect all comments and deliver them to Jeff Crowley, ONAP's director.

Thank you in advance for letting us know your thoughts!

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Previous Comments:

Anthony, Lexington, 2009-11-14 19:02:44
I fortunately have a great job and insurance. It isn't the best but its insurance. I make too much to qualify for the ADAP program. My meds alone run me close to 200 a month. What can we do to bring down the cost of Meds?

SouthernBoy, savannah, 2009-11-13 10:17:29
The access to getting needed medications is limited, not to mention the incredibly high cost involved. There is a breakdown in the system somewhere.

Horizon, Fort Lauderdale, 2009-11-13 00:25:13
Before I was poz, I suffered a lot of infections every year (seasonal). After I became poz, I started to take a better care of myself changing my lifestyle and habits and I am healthier now. Incredibly my immune system improved. HIV has been a wonderful teacher for me. The positive face of the virus, is a miracle.

L. DeGuise, MI, 2009-11-12 23:49:48
All things considered, my health is quite good. I am a health food enthusiast. Never smoked and I prefer carrot juice over pop, raw veggies over microwaved crap. I think more nutrition information is needed. REALLY! No one can give me any information on food based nutrition. I am not on meds, so I am outside the box. I'd like to help more of us be outside that box. Proper nutrition is crucial!Just like with the H1N1 virus, we need to be strong.Not immune crippled from junk food,drugs,& booze.

Robert, Burton, 2009-11-12 22:39:19
Take out rest area's push condoms

Bruce McGuire, Miami, 2009-11-12 13:38:28
I do not know if there is an answer to your Questions. We tell everyone be safe and still the epidemic increases, over 25,000,000 souls lost to this pointless and man made disease. Perhaps a prohibition of premarrital sex and the dynamic testing of all citizens. This makes more sense to me than criminalization of a person after he/she has become infected. You cant stop something that has already happened. You cant scream epidmic and not stand up and not spend what is nec. to treat the people.

James J, New York, New Yok, 2009-11-12 11:35:09
Hillary proposed that all HIV positive people be eligible for Medicare. I do think this would greatly increase testing and treatment. As a working person I do have health insurance, but a large part of my income go toward co-pays and deductibles. The high cost of treatment prohibits HIV positive people from wanting to go back to work, to get off the dole...universal coverage for all hiv positive people. Those with undetectable viral loads are highly unlikely to transmit the virus.

Robert W. Toth, Cleveland, 2009-11-12 10:53:32
I would ban discrimination in all areas of the public and private sector - in hopes of ending the paralyzing stigma still attached to HIV/AIDS in America. I would have all HIV/AIDS and related professionals dialogue with their HIV+ clients about lifestyle changes, inculding dietary changes. As a 21+ year survivor I have just suffered a T.I.A. ("mini-stroke") due to plaque buildup due to the long-term side effects of HAART. Also, sorely needed is a National HIV/AIDS re-education effort!

Mark, San Bernardino, 2009-11-12 10:36:09
Help with medical insurance coordination. I'm paying for three and some are refusing to pay for anything. I feel like a need a lawyer to sort through this stuff.

David Thomas, Austin, 2009-11-12 10:01:30
Extended release HIV meds Drug levels and dose adjustment at least once a year, or when kidney/liver failure appears. One dose doesn't fit all. If pain killers, heart meds and mental health drugs can be made extended release, why not HIV meds, you only have to apply a suitable coating to the tablet. This would avoid most of the side effects of these very toxic drugs.

YoYo S, Greenbelt, 2009-11-12 09:14:03
I believe a national campaign to address the stigma of living with HIV/AIDS would go a long way to enabling people to get tested. This would help remove the mystery surrounding how people contract the disease. The campaign should explain the disease in simple language. The campaign should also explain that anyone from any walk of life is at risk if they involved in risky behavior.

steve berkowitz, San Diego, 2009-11-12 01:23:16
Funding for HIV srvs.should be increased, include CA. Many of the working poor cannot afford to pay for their own medical costs for this chronic condition. Groups like Being Alive are a lifesaver for social support when HIV is still stigmatized and HIV'ers are discriminated against by the local population, food services, discounts, education... And the untold mental stigma of body changes, side effects to drugs, self esteem, and comments every day against gay people by media, jokes,stereotype

Duane B. Harris, Beaumont, Texas, 2009-11-11 17:34:46
afford health insurance. If it were not for my being on SSDI and having Medicaid, then I would not have any access to proper HIV meds or other health care. All of which is limited due to limited govenrment funding, as well as the present government cutbacks for HIV as well as a National Care Plan for all Americans.

Duane B. Harris, Beaumont, Texas, 2009-11-11 17:31:27
from. So I'm sure that if I've benefited from these government funded programs then then others around the U.S. have too. Like myself, if these programs had not been in place myself and others very well could not have been able to receive most of if not all my HIV meds. And the same thing goes for the government funded plans that paid for my hospital stays during my many battles with PCP. I am for President Obama's health care reform for all Americans because I was/am one on many that cannot

Duane B. Harris, Beaumont, Texas, 2009-11-11 17:23:38
I happen to be a 45 yr. old male that has been living with HIV for now 24 yrs. Had it not been for the government funded(ing) for aiding in paying for my HIV medications I would not be here writing this letter. I have been on everything from "AZT to Fuzion" my CD4 count has been as low as 13 to now 820 (as of 8/09). Had it not been for the help of the "Ryan White Funding", I would have been homeless too. These are just a few of the more than 20 yrs. worth of benefits that I myself have benefited