Inside Story/Blog

On April 10, 140 pledged advocates flooded inboxes of state elected officials with a unified message - “Nothing about us without us!” - in support of HIV prevention and treatment, housing as healthcare, and advancing health equity. Over 1,300 messages were sent to legislators across the state in support of AFC’s 2024 legislative priorities, and…

Have you heard about the only FDA-approved time machine, Narcan? Optimal time-travel window is six minutes after an overdose. Time travel tips include tilting the person’s head back while providing support under the neck and gently inserting the tip of the nozzle into one nostril and pressing the plunger firmly (see full instructions here).  Of…

“I am in awe of young people because they are more brilliant than any of us have ever been,” said Will Pettway, a Black nonbinary sex ed teacher through the Lurie Children’s Hospital (and winner of AIDS Run & Walk Chicago in the nonbinary category). For National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day this year, marked on…

The Board of Directors for AIDS Foundation Chicago is the governing body responsible for championing and advising the organization's work. As we begin a new year of Board activities, some long-serving members have stepped down from their duties. We are thankful to Anthony Bruck, Terri Friel, and Joseph P. Stokes for their service and leadership.…

Women, and Black Women, have always been powering the movement to end the HIV epidemic, in Chicago and beyond. One of AFC’s most experienced and impactful leaders is Freddie Shufford, Vice President of Care. We sat down with Freddie during Women’s History month to ask questions about connecting women to care, and about her own…

Terry Dudley is a Black queer Southsider who has dedicated their life to HIV activism since they first accessed LGBTQ+ resources after coming out to a healthcare provider at 16 years old. “My first experience with a youth space was on the Northside being escorted through back doors, being told you can't use the main…

The Learning Circle Collaborative (LCC) is an organizational development and capacity-building initiative for Black-led Organizations in Chicago, conceived by Dr. Cynthia Tucker of AIDS Foundation Chicago (AFC) in 2016. The newest cohort for 2024 consists of small and growing Black-led organizations serving Black Chicagoans through HIV care and prevention. These hard-working community organizations provide access…

Johnny Pitts has faced numerous challenges in his life, beginning with the loss of his mother to an AIDS-related illness, but he has always found the strength to overcome them. Having received an HIV diagnosis himself in his late twenties, Johnny always feared that he would share the same fate as his mother, so he…

On Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day, AIDS Foundation Chicago (AFC) and the Center for Housing and Health (CHH), along with advocates and grassroots leaders, would like to honor and remember our neighbors who have died houseless. We mourn their lives and the potential and creativity lost in our communities every time we lose a life to…

Doxy-PEP (Doxycycline Post-Exposure Prophylaxis) is a new way to prevent certain sexually transmitted infections including Syphilis, Gonorrhea, and Chlamydia. We’ve heard questions from our community about Doxy-PEP and thought it would be important to raise awareness and share expert information about it.    AFC’s Chief Officer of External Relations, Edward Wagner, recently discussed with India Willis,…