Federal HIV Cuts, Legal Threats Endanger Prevention

Federal funding cuts to HIV/AIDS programs, initiated during the Trump administration, have affected access to life-saving medications and research both in the U.S. and globally, with patients in countries like Uganda and institutions such as Yale reporting significant losses. Advocates warn that these reductions threaten progress in HIV prevention, treatment, and research. In addition to funding cuts, the nonprofit sector faces broader challenges, including the IRS's potential revocation of Harvard University's tax-exempt status, which could have widespread implications. Further complicating the landscape, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. v. Braidwood in 2025, a case that could restrict free access to preventive HIV care like PrEP due to religious objections from employers. These combined threats highlight the precarious state of both the nonprofit and public health sectors in combating HIV. Persistent stigma and legal challenges threaten to reverse decades of progress against the epidemic.