Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner today proposed a $31.5 billion budget for the state’s next fiscal year that contains draconian cuts to the Illinois Department of Public Health and HIV services. The state’s last fiscal year saw $26 million appropriated for HIV-related services, but Rauner proposed slashing HIV services in FY 2016 to $20 million, a nearly 25% reduction. ...
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Are you having trouble paying for your HIV medication? Do you feel your insurance company’s high cost sharing amounts for HIV medications are discriminatory? Tell us ; we want to hear from you!
Last week, the AIDS Foundation of Chicago and AIDS Legal Council of Chicago submitted letters to four health insurance companies in Illinois – Humana , Coventry , UnitedHealthcare...
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In the month of February, we honor the sacrifices and accomplishments of African Americans in the U.S. through Black History Month. But this month also offers the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) an opportunity to explore the current state of African Americans in Chicago and Illinois, and how the HIV epidemic impacts this community.
AFC is a partner in a variety of programs and opportunities...
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Applications for an advisory board composed of young women and transgender women of color are now being accepted to support Project Elevate, a dynamic new STI prevention program led by the AIDS Foundation of Chicago.
Project Elevate is a citywide collaboration with Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Department of Public Health, Planned Parenthood, Lurie Children’s Memorial Hospital,...
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Stigma: In and Out is a monthly series profiling the clients, providers and leaders of AFC's Corrections Case Management program, which helps HIV-positive people emerging from prison or jail get the support they need upon reentry.
Gaining freedom from jail or prison can be a bittersweet experience for people who were formerly in prison or jail. For most, life is not much better when...
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The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) is taking a decisive step toward deepening its valued partnerships with community organizations and advocates most crucial to the HIV/AIDS fight by filling two key roles on its staff: vice president of Policy and vice president of Prevention and Community Partnerships.
After serving AFC for 10 years — and the HIV prevention community for far longer...
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For years, the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) has partnered with Vida/SIDA — a project of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center — to ensure the health and well-being of the Latino/Latina community by offering free HIV testing, counseling and other services crucial to prevent the transmission of HIV. Under their umbrella falls a program called “El Rescate,” a new initiative...
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A new year means new challenges — and new opportunities to make a positive impact on the HIV epidemic. The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) team has a number of new initiatives planned for 2015, and here are 15 highlights:
15. Prioritizing the health of women and transgender women of color
Launching in 2015, Project Elevate will build innovative HIV and STI...
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The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) applauds the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on their announcement today eliminating the outdated lifetime blood-donation ban for gay and bisexual men, enacting instead a rule that bans men who have had sex with men within the past year from donating blood. While the removal of the lifetime ban is a critical step forward, this one-year deferral period continues...
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After five years of brave leadership for the city of Chicago — and, in particular, the estimated 25,000 people living with HIV and AIDS in the city — Dr. Bechara Choucair announced today that he is stepping down from his role as the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) commissioner.
Dr. Choucair has been a strong ally in the fight to prevent new HIV infections in Chicago,...
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