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State
Policy Priorities
In 2005,
AFC will pursue state legislative and policy initiatives designed to stem
the spread of the epidemic and respond to the needs of Illinoisans living
with HIV/AIDS.
Reduce
the Spread of HIV/AIDS in State Prisons — AFC will work with
the Illinois Departments of Corrections and Public Health and the Illinois
General Assembly to:
- Expand
peer-based HIV prevention education for prisoners, ex-prisoners,
and their family members
- Increase
promotion of free and voluntary HIV counseling and testing services
- Improve
HIV/AIDS medical care and discharge planning
- Expand
community re-entry services for HIV-positive ex-prisoners
Ensure
Adequate State Funding for HIV/AIDS Services — AFC urges state
officials to:
- Appropriate
$2 million in new funding for HIV-related services for prisoners
and ex-prisoners
- Maintain
the state appropriation for the AIDS Drug Assistance
Program to ensure that uninsured, low-income Illinoisans with
HIV/AIDS have access to life-saving medications
- Maintain
the state appropriation for HIV prevention services, particularly
those targeting hard-hit communities of color
- Approve
funding for the final phase of FamilyCare,
providing healthcare coverage for low-income families, including hundreds
affected by HIV/AIDS
Enact
Legislation to Improve the Lives of People with HIV/AIDS — AFC
urges state officials to:
- Prohibit
discrimination in the rental housing market based on a renter's source
of income
- Create
a rental housing subsidy trust fund to assist low-income renters
- Allow
judges to appoint the most qualified guardian to care for children
and adults impacted by HIV/AIDS, even if the guardian is an ex-prisoner
- Require
insurance coverage for non-occupational, post-exposure prophylaxis
to prevent HIV infection within 72 hours after exposure from sexual
intercourse, sexual assault, or injection drug use
- Allow
the medical use of cannabis by individuals with life threatening,
chronic conditions
Voluntary
Testing in Correctional Settings Promotes Individual Involvement
in Healthcare, Prevention
AFC
supports voluntary HIV counseling and testing strategies as the
most effective way to engage HIV-positive individuals and those
at risk for infection in HIV prevention and treatment. AFC opposes
mandatory testing, which can alienate individuals who may be unprepared
for an HIV-positive result and unwilling to cooperate with public
health strategies. In addition, mandatory testing rarely includes
HIV counseling, which benefits both HIV-positive and HIV-negative
individuals. Inmates should receive basic HIV/AIDS information
and be educated about the benefits of learning their status. They
should also be informed about the availability of HIV treatments
in prison and offered voluntary HIV counseling and testing repeatedly
during their incarceration. Inmates will be more likely to accept
HIV testing if they are educated about the benefits of testing
and assured confidentiality of their results.
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Printable
Document
(PDF)
Introduction
The
Intersection of HIV/AIDS & Prisons
Illinois must Address HIV/AIDS
in Prisons
State Policy Priorities
Federal Policy Priorities
HIV/AIDS in Illinois
Additional
HIV/AIDS statistics
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