WASHINGTON — Reports are emerging that the Trump Administration is considering a reckless decision to eliminate the CDC’s Division of HIV Prevention Programs—an attack on public health that threatens decades of progress in the fight against HIV and would cost people their lives.

“An effort to defund HIV prevention by this administration would set us back decades, cost innocent people their lives and cost taxpayers millions,” said Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson. “This is not just a policy debate—it is a direct assault on the 1.2 million people living with HIV in the United States and countless others who are vulnerable to HIV. The LGBTQ+ community still carries the scars of the government negligence and mass death of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. We should be doubling down on our investment to end the HIV epidemic once and for all, not regressing to the days of funeral services and a virus running rampant. First came incessant attacks on the transgender community and now this. It should be clear to all that the Trump administration does not support the health, rights, or lives of the LGBTQ+ community. Congress and this administration should abandon this disastrous proposal immediately.”

At his 2019 State Of The Union address, Trump promised to end HIV in the United States by 2030. However, even before the reported CDC cuts, the Trump administration's policies have been in direct conflict with these goals. “The success of the ‘Ending the HIV Epidemic’ initiative is in peril,” said Colleen Kelley, chair of the HIV Medicine Association’s board of directors, referring to the initiative launched by the first Trump administration. “Not only will we not end the HIV epidemic with the current administration’s policies, we could reverse these gains and go back to the dark days of the ’80s, when people died from HIV every day.”

Background on the CDC’s HIV Prevention Programs

The programs have been instrumental in saving lives and combating the epidemic.

• For over 40 years, the CDC has been at the forefront of turning HIV from a deadly epidemic into an easily manageable condition for millions of people. 
• The CDC currently invests $1 billion per year on domestic HIV prevention efforts.
• From 2018 to 2022, reports of new HIV infections decreased by 12%, including a decrease of 30% reported among young people aged 13-24, thanks to the CDC’s investment in education and prevention efforts.
• Through its prevention efforts, community engagement, and scientific innovation, the CDC has helped millions gain access to life-saving services, including HIV testing, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and contact tracing. 
• Despite our advances in treatment, over 5,000 Americans die each year from AIDS-related complications. Without these vital CDC programs, that number will grow.
• Without the CDC’s investment, states and local jurisdictions will be left scrambling and with no ability to provide PrEP, syringe service programs, HIV testing, or essential community outreach—all of which have been proven to prevent new infections.

HIV prevention saves money too.

• Every individual newly diagnosed with HIV in the U.S. results in an estimated $500,000 in lifetime healthcare costs.
• In 2022 alone, the CDC estimates that there were 31,800 people newly diagnosed with an HIV infection, translating to $15.9 billion in lifetime treatment costs.
• This means that investment in prevention reduces costs and strain on the health care system.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ+ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.

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