Planned Parenthood Welcomes Renewed Congressional Support for Global HIV/AIDS Program, Warns that Trump-Pence Policies Threaten Progress   

Washington, DC - Planned Parenthood welcomed bipartisan congressional action to extend key provisions governing President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, while underscoring that harmful policies being advanced by the Trump-Pence administration threaten to reverse  important progress on the global fight against HIV/AIDS. The PEPFAR reauthorization comes as the health community prepares to mark World AIDS Day.  

Statement from Dr. Leana Wen, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America:

Together, the global health community has made tremendous strides in the fight against HIV/AIDS. We’ve seen significant declines in new HIV diagnoses among adolescent girls and young women for the first time in the history of the epidemic. And with 19.5 million people around the world  on HIV treatment, we can now say a person living with HIV who starts antiretroviral therapy today will have the same life expectancy as an HIV-negative person of the same age. As we mark World AIDS Day, let’s take a moment to honor these milestones and renew our commitment to the work ahead.

Statement from Latanya Mapp Frett, Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Global:

Congressional support of PEPFAR, the U.S. program dedicated to the global HIV/AIDS response, is important to furthering  this progress. But the Trump-Pence administration’s continued attacks on the world’s most vulnerable communities puts this progress at risk. Expanding the global gag rule and prioritizing abstinence-only education hurts the people that this program is intended to serve by perpetuating stigma, and denying them accurate information and evidence-based care to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS. Unfortunately, yesterday’s congressional action did not address the extreme refusal clause governing PEPFAR, which also threatens to deprive lifesaving information and services to people and communities who need it most. And policy that is driven by extreme ideology is not just ineffective — it is potentially  deadly.

Planned Parenthood provides compassionate care, quality education, and accurate information to young people, their families, and communities. We are committed to serving those most affected by HIV and HIV stigma. In the U.S., that includes Black and Latina women, trans women of color, young adults, and Black and Latino gay and bisexual men.

• Planned Parenthood is one of the nation’s leading HIV testing providers. In the past year, Planned Parenthood health centers provided more than 740,000 HIV tests nationwide. Planned Parenthood health centers provide care to 2.4 million people each year. And in 2016, 21  percent of Planned Parenthood's patient population was Latina/o and 15 percent was Black, and nearly half of our patients were under 24 years of age.

• More than  half of our health centers offer HIV prevention tools like PEP and PrEP. Forty affiliates operating more than 400 health centers have implemented PrEP — a daily pill to prevent HIV — as part of a new grant-funded, multi-phase program to expand comprehensive HIV prevention, in partnership with Black AIDS Institute.

• Planned Parenthood Global trains peer educators in Africa and Latin America to share accurate information on HIV and sexual and reproductive health, and distribute condoms to help empower young people to prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STI) and unintended pregnancies.

• Global Mobile uses mobile technology to connect young people around the world with health information and services, giving them the power to control their bodies and their lives.

As part of our mission to help people live healthy lives, Planned Parenthood works every day in communities across the country and with partners around the world so that everyone — no matter who they are or where they live — can access accurate, high-quality, and compassionate sexual and reproductive health care and education. This World AIDS Day, we continue to encourage all people to find trusted health care providers and talk about HIV with their friends, families, and sexual partners.

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Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men, and young people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With more than 600 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect and without judgment. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable health information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives.

For more than 45 years, Planned Parenthood Federation of America has supported access to sexual and reproductive health care and advocated for reproductive rights around the world through our international arm, Planned Parenthood Global. In partnership with more than 100 organizations across 12 focus countries in Africa and Latin America, we advance the health and rights of young people, women and families, with an emphasis on the most vulnerable and underserved. Last year, our partners reached over a million people with sexual and reproductive health information and services provided by our partners. Our unique sustainability model sets us apart, as we empower partners to stand on their own. We help grassroots organizations develop solid reproductive health programs, identify other sources of funding, build their communications and advocacy skills, and develop strategic plans.