AIDS Action Applauds Senate Passage of Two HIV-Related Amendments

This week, the Massachusetts state Senate approved two significant prevention initiatives in the State Budget. The first was passage of an amendment to increase funding for HIV/AIDS prevention by $250,000. The second was passage of an amendment eliminating a cap on the number of needle exchange programs in the state.

AIDS Action Committee Executive Director Carl Sciortino released the following statement in response:

"AIDS Action Committee applauds the state Senate for approving two amendments to its budget that are vitally important in the fight to end the spread of HIV. Senators approved an increase of $250,000 that will bring the state's investment in HIV/AIDS education, prevention, and outreach to $33.3 million. This increase will be used to raise awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis, better known as PrEP, as an HIV prevention tool."

"PrEP is an anti-retroviral pill that has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV infection by 92 to 99 percent among men who have sex with men. PrEP studies on other groups at high risk for HIV -- injection drug users and people in sexual relationships with an HIV positive partner, for example -- have shown similar results."

"Massachusetts can get new diagnoses of HIV to zero, but only with the widespread adoption of every prevention tool at our disposal, and that includes PrEP, which can be prescribed by a doctor and is covered by insurance. We are grateful to Senator Linda Dorcena Forry for sponsoring this amendment."

"We also thank the senate for updating the state's antiquated legal language on needle exchange programs. By removing the needle exchange pilot language from state law, the Department of Public Health and municipal health departments will be free to establish needle exchange programs where they are most needed."

"Needle exchange and overdose prevention programs have proven to be safe and effective ways to engage injection drug users in care. Yet the lack of clarity in existing state law has prevented many communities from employing this tool effectively. This is a common sense step forward in preventing overdoses, and fighting stigma, addiction and the spread of HIV. We thank Senator Jason Lewis for sponsoring this amendment."

AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts is the state's leading provider of prevention and wellness services for people living with and at risk of HIV/AIDS. AIDS Action works to stop the epidemic by eliminating new infections; maximizing healthier outcomes of those infected and at risk; and tackling the root causes of HIV/AIDS.

Founded in 1983, AIDS Action is New England's oldest and largest AIDS service organization, advocating for the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS by educating the public and health professionals about HIV prevention and care; and promoting fair and effective HIV/AIDS policy at the city, state, and federal levels. In 2013, AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts entered into a strategic partnership with Fenway Health, allowing both organizations to improve delivery of care and services across the state and beyond.

For more information, visit www.aac.org