Frontline HIV prevention advocates from across the South gathered in Atlanta recently to collaborate and compare notes about how to respond to challenges created by funding cuts and new Trump administration policies.
At the Saving Ourselves Symposium, an annual conference for leaders of color working on HIV prevention in the South, attendees were particularly alarmed about federal attempts to block projects that focus on gender identity and the health needs of the communities they serve.
Participants raised concerns about their ability to continue work on testing, education and disease prevention — and about their own mental health as they navigate the challenges.
Trump’s proposed budget for next fiscal year would dramatically reduce funding for HIV prevention, and funding clawbacks have impacted organizations working on vaccine equity with vulnerable groups and people of color.
Here are four takeaways from the conference, which was themed “Black to the Future.”