EDGE New York City

If you don’t know who your elected officials are, just call the Capital Switchboard at 888-876-6242 or 202-224-3121 and ask to be connected to your Congressional representative. You can also spread visibility by sharing information about what you’re doing for World AIDS Day 201 by tweeting under the hashtag #WAD2011.

Stop Congress From Cutting Medicaid

You can be a Super Friend for people with HIV! Send a message asking your U.S. Senators and Representative to be Super Friends to people living with HIV by protecting the future of health and social services.
» Become a super friend

Add your name to the two letters the HIV Health Care Access Working Group (HHCAWG) is sending to Congress: one urging them not to repeal the provision in the Affordable Care Act requiring states to maintain current Medicaid eligibility rules; and the other urging them to protect Medicaid from harmful cuts and spending caps.
» Join the list

Work with the National Minority AIDS Council to stop Congress from cutting Medicaid.
» Take action

Tell Congress Not to Cut the Prevention and Public Health Fund

As Congress works to finalize the FY 2012 appropriations process and to develop legislation to reduce the federal deficit, public health funding, including the Prevention and Public Health Fund, remains vulnerable to cuts. Please take the time to send a message to your members of Congress urging them to oppose any effort to eliminate critical public health funding in the FY 2012 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill or as part of any deficit reduction legislation!
» Send a letter

Support the Affordable Care Act

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides $750 million in urgently needed funding for smoking cessation, nutrition, strengthening local health departments, and providing immunizations. Contact your Representative and Senators in support of the ACA and urge them to oppose any future attempts to repeal this important public health achievement.
» Support the Affordable Care Act

National HIV/AIDS Strategy

President Barack Obama endorsed the National AIDS Strategy, currently under development. This plan of action is focused on improving prevention and treatment outcomes as well as reducing disparities among MSM and people of color. Help them reach their goals by their target date of 2015.
» Read the strategy
» Support the Coalition for a National AIDS Strategy

Comprehensive Sex Education

Sex ed is a critical prevention method proven to help youth make safer sex decisions.
» Call upon Congress to lift the ban on abstinence-only programs

MSM Blood Ban

U.S. blood donation policies prohibit any man who has had sex with another man (MSM) from donating blood permanently.
» Help change this policy

HIV and Aging

By 2012, an estimated 2/3 of people living with HIV will be over 50 years old. It’s time to devote research and targeted prevention to this population.
» Support this effort

Syringe Exchange

Proven to drastically reduce HIV infection rates while not increasing substance abuse, syringe exchange is a safe and effective public health intervention.
» Call on Congress to lift the ban on federal funding for these programs.

Reducing HIV Stigma

Stigma around people with HIV can be overwhelming. You can help battle this stigma and promote HIV testing through Facing AIDS, a chance for people to put a face to HIV.
» Learn how

HIV/AIDS Orgs Call of FDA for Prompt Review of PrEP

Thirteen prominent HIV/AIDS groups have issued an open letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Gilead Sciences calling for a prompt regulatory review of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention in MSM, and to allow PrEP to be used as a public health intervention without delaying review because of conflicting issues around prevention among heterosexuals.
» Support this effort

Include HIV and Viral Hepatitis Services in Essential Health Benefits package!

Members of the House of Representative's Democratic Caucus are circulating a sign-on letter urging the Department of Health and Human Services to include HIV and viral hepatitis services in the Affordable Care Act's Essential Health Benefits package.
» Sign the letter