Support the Ryan White Care Act

by | Aug 26, 2013 | Blog, HIV/AIDS, politics, Shawn's Videos

Last month I did a video for AIDS Healthcare Foundation about PEPFAR. This month I was once again excited by the topic they presented- the need for continued funding of the Ryan White CARE Act.

Learn more about it by watching the video above. For your convenience, I’ve posted the transcript of the video below.

Hope this finds you well!

Positively Yours,
Shawn

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In 1984, 13-year-old Ryan White changed the face of AIDS by speaking out
against intolerance. Following his death in 1990, the Ryan White CARE
(Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency) Act received vast bipartisan
support and today is the backbone of our fight against HIV/AIDS in the
United States, providing lifesaving treatment and prevention services to
nearly half of all people living with HIV nationwide.

In September 2013, the CARE Act is set to expire. In the four years since
its last reauthorization, we have learned that the key to reversing the
HIV epidemic begins with getting tested for HIV, followed by linkage and
retention of care. This ultimately renders patients noninfectious,
allowing for a longer, happier life. Sounds good, right?

Sadly, gaps in this continuum leave a majority of HIV-positive Americans out of
care: 20% don’t know their status, and of those who do only 40% see a
doctor regularly, leaving less than 30% of HIV-positive people in
America with an undetectable viral load. In July 2013, President Barack
Obama issued an Executive Order for federal agencies to scale up their
efforts.

Reauthorizing the Ryan White CARE Act is critical to
achieving this goal. Providers like Medicaid and private insurance do
not cover many needed services and do not have the HIV expertise of the
CARE Act to provide everyone with the same level of care.

Keep Ryan’s legacy alive — show Congress that America supports the reauthorization of the Ryan White CARE Act.