HIV/AIDS advocates in Mississippi converged on the state Capitol for the first Annual HIV/AIDS Days. Claiming that stigma and misperception in the state rivaled that of sub-Sahara Africa, they asked state lawmakers to re-examine a variety of state policies and to increase the budget for treating those living with HIV/AIDS. Advocates such as Mississippi’s Bright New Day and Harvard researchers also called for a more effective sex education bill than the one currently awaiting the governor’s consideration. A recent report from Human Rights Watch claimed that Mississippi has promoted discrimination against LGBT people in schools, actively resisted accepting federal funds and failed to adopt proven strategies to lower HIV transmission and death.

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