Fashion and self-expression came together at #aids2026 to create a sense of freedom and community, advocates told @marksking.bsky.social for @posaware.bsky.social. positivelyaware.com/fashion-and-flair-aids-2026

@marksking.bsky.social talks with former #PEPFAR chief science officer Dr. Mike Reid at #AIDS2026: “The last 18 months has been awful for many people working in the U.S. government, people who gave their whole careers to serve on PEPFAR...” www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkKQ...

The PA Chat | Mark S. King talks with former PEPFAR chief science officer Dr Mike Reid

YouTube video by Positively Aware

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“We have the right to have health access, to access prevention, to access treatment, to access vaccines, and that those same treatments should not be used to criminalize us,” Mpact Global’s Andrew Spieldenner tells @marksking.bsky.social at #AIDS2026. www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Vpb...

The PA Chat | MARK S KING interviews Mpact Executive Director Andrew Spieldenner

YouTube video by Positively Aware

youtube.com

“You cannot win the war with old means,” @iasociety.bsky.social president-elect Andriy Kelikov tells @marksking.bsky.social at #AIDS2026. “Outdated means the same in public health. We cannot end AIDS epidemic with old means.” bit.ly/the-pa-chat-andriy

The PA Chat | MARK S KING interviews IAS President Elect Andriy Klepikov

The PA Chat | MARK S KING interviews IAS President Elect Andriy Klepikov

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At #AIDS2026, activists interrupted a U.S. State Department pre-conference session to protest #PEPFAR cuts and the Trump administration’s “America First Global Health Strategy.” “We will not be erased!” activists said. positivelyaware.com/pepfar-protest-at-aids-2026

A steep decline in government support has put #HIV prevention and services under more strain than at any point in nearly a quarter century and threatens to stall or even reverse decades of progress, according to a report released by UNAIDS at #AIDS2026. www.positivelyaware.com/innovation-w...

MPact Global’s Andrew Spieldenner warns of cuts to #HIV funding. At #AIDS2026, @unaids.org and @kff.org will release reports examining the impact of those cuts. Also at the conference, MPact will stage a “kiss-in” demonstration. positivelyaware.com/mpact-20-years

Ahead of #AIDS2026, researchers report that a once-weekly oral combination of islatravir/lenacapavir maintained viral suppression through 48 weeks, was well tolerated and performed as well as standard daily #HIV treatment in two phase 3 studies. positivelyaware.com/islend-phase-3-results

Ahead of #AIDS2026, new findings show over 1,700 clinic closures, staffing losses and reductions in HIV prevention services; a separate analysis found 77,000 fewer children receiving PEPFAR-supported HIV treatment in 2025 than the year before. positivelyaware.com/pepfar-cuts-threaten-global-response

“If surveillance is not built on the core principles of informed consent, bodily autonomy and sufficient privacy protections, it increases the risk that people’s private information will be publicly exposed or used against them,” says HIV BASIC. positivelyaware.com/hiv-basic-collective

“HIV has too often been framed as somebody else’s issue,” writes social worker Ebony C. Barney, MPH, MSW, LSW, CPH. positivelyaware.com/black-social-workers-and-hiv

Aging and HIV service organizations must build the knowledge, policies and partnerships needed to ensure older adults living with HIV feel seen, understood and supported, writes HIV advocate Jax Kelly. positivelyaware.com/a-referral-is-not-a-strategy

Could people with HIV lose Medicaid coverage because of new work requirements? Advocates say a new federal rule could make it harder for people living with HIV to qualify for exemptions Congress intended for those who are “medically frail.” positivelyaware.com/interim-final-rule

New governing rules for the CDC’s vaccines committee could undermine the panel’s authority and make it vulnerable to politics, says a statement by a group of medical organizations, led by @idsainfo.bsky.social. positivelyaware.com/new-acip-charter

Ahead of #NationalHIVTestingDay—Saturday, June 27—a new report from AIDSVu finds a record 644,170 people were on PrEP in the U.S. last year. But the growth 2024–2025 was the slowest in the past 5 years and access and uptake are still far too uneven. positivelyaware.com/new-prepvu-data

In a new First Person commentary for the magazine, #HIV health equity advocate Von Biggs argues that addressing social influences of health requires integrated care, community leadership and a willingness to share power. positivelyaware.com/social-influences-of-health

Social influences of health

positivelyaware.com

The FDA could decide by early February whether to approve the first once-weekly pill for HIV prevention. It could offer an alternative to daily PrEP pills and long-acting injections that come with their own logistical and clinical considerations. positivelyaware.com/weekly-prep-pill

Lenacapavir, the twice-yearly injectable for HIV prevention, is being rolled out across low-income countries at unprecedented speed. But are supply, funding and transparency keeping pace with demand? @timmurphynycwriter.bsky.social reports for PA. positivelyaware.com/LEN-access-and-accountability

Said one of the protesters released after his arrest: “We wanted to have Rubio hear that people are still thinking about PEPFAR—and that people overseas are dying” because of the Trump administration’s dismantling of U.S. global health programs. positivelyaware.com/10-activists-arrested

Advocates are concerned that even though HIV meds are not impacted, the cuts could undermine adherence for Missourians with HIV. And with the state legislature adjourned for the year, a legislative solution is unlikely for now. positivelyaware.com/missouri-suspends-ryan-white-part-b

The budget provides $75 million for ADAP, maintains income eligibility at 400% of FPL and restores Biktarvy to the formulary, but no assistance for premium. Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to sign the budget bill into law. positivelyaware.com/new-florida-budget

The FDA has approved Idvynso, which combines two drugs made by Merck—doravirine (which has been available for several years under the brand name Pifeltro) + islatravir, the first of a new drug class, nucleoside reverse transcriptase translocation inhibitors. positivelyaware.com/fda-approves-idvynso

Immigration raids, funding cuts and fear are disrupting #HIV care for Latina/o communities. In a commentary for PA, Carlos Saldana Ochoa, MD, describes how missed appointments, detention and research instability threaten decades of HIV progress. www.positivelyaware.com/when-fear-disrupts-hiv-care

When we dismiss tools like PrEP or DoxyPEP because they don’t align with our personal beliefs, we’re not protecting anyone, writes public health advocate Jason Watler. Too often people disguise their antagonism to some sexual health interventions as morality. positivelyaware.com/in-prep-we-trust

An op-ed by PrEP4All’s Jeremiah Johnson as California’s state supreme court hears oral arguments in a lawsuit by 24,000 people living HIV, charging that Gilead Sciences delayed development of a safer version of tenofovir in order to protect profits. positivelyaware.com/tenofovir-lawsuit-arguments

Single-tablet regimens simplify HIV treatment, improve adherence and help prevent resistance and transmission. In a First Person commentary, policy advocate Scott Bertani notes that some cost-cutting efforts fail to take into accounts these benefits. www.positivelyaware.com/the-case-for-STRs

To see someone as the person they are is the beginning of respect. To see someone as the person they are is the beginning of compassion. To see someone as the person they are is the beginning. International Transgender Day of Visibility

“I knew how I wanted my hair, nails, outfit, coffin & what funeral home I wanted it to be at,” writes Kim Canady. “I have to remember that I’m here for a reason. I’m in a constant fight with myself to not just be alive but to actually live!” positivelyaware.com/first-person-kim-canady

After April 1, the U.S. post office will no longer ship bulk copies of magazines in bundles, so PA is switching to UPS. Now’s the time to update your shipping info—address, quantities and contact info. Or place your new order! Contact us: distribution@positivelyaware.com.