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Support HIV/AIDS Prevention Programs

Today, there are an estimated 33 million people infected with HIV worldwide and roughly 2.5 million new HIV infections each year. The U.S. Global AIDS Act of 2003 created the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a five-year, $15 billion initiative intended to expand prevention, treatment and care services in countries heavily affected by HIV and AIDS. PEPFAR has been praised for increasing access to anti-retroviral therapy, supporting roughly 1.4 million people on treatment since 2003. There are, however, seven new infections for each person put on treatment annually.

Congress is now considering new legislation to spend $50 billion for global AIDS over the next five years. The new law must support comprehensive, evidence-based prevention programs tailored to meet the unique needs of each country and community.

Urge your Senators and Representative to support striking the abstinence-until-marriage earmark and the prostitution pledge from the Global AIDS Act, and support funding for programs aimed at women, youth, and other vulnerable and marginalized populations.

Please act now to ensure these critical changes are made!

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Subject:

Dear [ Decision Maker ],

(Edit Letter Below)

Over 33.2 million people are currently living with HIV worldwide, and two-thirds of those are in sub-Saharan Africa. As you know, through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, the U.S. has spent approximately $23 billion on global AIDS efforts since 2003. This has led to increased access to treatment as well as care and support for individuals and families affected by HIV and AIDS.

However, with seven new infections for every person put on treatment, I am deeply concerned about restrictions on prevention programs that undermine efforts to prevent as many new infections as possible and constitute a waste of taxpayer dollars.

Efforts are underway to reauthorize U.S. global AIDS programs at a level of $50 billion over five years. I support increased funding for U.S. global AIDS programs, contingent on evidence-based prevention policies and the removal of restrictions in the original Global AIDS Act.

I am writing to urge you to support a bill reauthorizing the U.S. Global AIDS Act that at a minimum strikes the abstinence-until-marriage earmark and the prostitution pledge; dramatically increases attention to and funding of programs addressing the needs of women and youth; supports linkages between HIV services and basic reproductive health services; uses evidence-based approaches to preventing HIV infection among specific populations, such as intravenous drug users; strengthens support for health care workers; and provides nutritional and other program support needed to ensure effective treatment access.

We have the chance to create a sustainable and comprehensive effort that will save millions of lives and contribute to ending this global pandemic. But to ensure success and the appropriate use of U.S. taxpayer dollars we should only fund programs driven by science and evidence, not ideology. I urge you to support these critical provisions when reauthorizing the U.S. Global AIDS Act of 2003.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]

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