Trump Will Pledge to End HIV Transmissions?!
Addison Herron-Wheeler is OUT FRONT's co-publisher and editor-in-chief and friend…
Yes, you read that headline right. According to Politico, Trump will pledge to end HIV transmissions in his State of the Union address.
Apparently, there is a ten-year plan in place to try and end infections by 2020. The plan would target states where the most HIV infections occur, and aim to end new transmissions by 2030.
Wild radical idea: if @realDonaldTrump and @HHSGov really want to wipe out #HIV, maybe ending discrimination against #trans people and recognizing their identities could be one starting point? https://t.co/pEbkPSDXgN
— Neela Ghoshal (@NeelaGhoshal) February 4, 2019
The CDC currently estimates over 1.1 million people aged 13 and older are living with HIV in the United States, including an estimated 162,500 who do not yet know they are infected. While HIV infections are for the most part declining, they are still on the upswing for Lantino men who have sex with men, and African Americans still have the highest rate of infection.
He fired the entire HIV advisory panel last year. In what universe could anyone possibly take this seriously? #SOTU2019 https://t.co/Dq9ugUk4lH
— David Bria (@DavidBria) February 4, 2019
While this may sound good on paper, the fact remains that Trump already diverted money away from HIV/AIDS research to fund ICE, and is opposed to many sof the organizations that help fight the AIDS epidemic and promote safe sex, such as Planned Parenthood. Whether there will be any truth in his promise remains to be seen.
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Addison Herron-Wheeler is OUT FRONT's co-publisher and editor-in-chief and friend to dogs everywhere. She enjoys long walks in the darkness away from any sources of sunlight, rainy days, and painfully dry comedy. She also covers cannabis and heavy metal, and is author of Wicked Woman: Women in Metal from the 1960s to Now and Respirator, a short story collection.