NHAS 2020: Stakeholders Call For Concrete Plans to End HIV Ignorance and Criminalization of PLWHA, Sex Workers, People Who Inject Drugs

Today nearly 80 organizations and individuals released a statement in response to the revised National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS 2020). Recognizing the importance of the NHAS 2020 and the critical progress and vision it reflects, stakeholders nonetheless stressed the need for specific action steps to address 1) broad public ignorance about HIV, STIs and identities associated with stigmatized diseases; 2) the criminalization of HIV; 3) HIV related discrimination in criminal justice and immigration detention facilities, and in the military; and 4) the need for focused prevention, health services and policy reform on behalf of sex workers and people who inject drugs.

As CHLP Deputy Director Mayo Schreiber, Jr. has noted, "These recommendations may be among the most cost effective the administration can take in terms of ending the HIV epidemic.  Eliminating stigmatizing government policies that reinforce ignorance about HIV requires relatively little or no financial investment, yet is essential in reaching every other goal the NHAS endorses."

To read the statement, click here.