ACLU-IL, AFC, and Planned Parenthood Support Landmark Measure
Media contact for ACLU-IL: Edwin Yohnka (312-201-9740, ext. 305 / [email protected])
Media contact for AFC: Ramon Gardenhire (301-379-3024 / [email protected])
Media contact for Planned Parenthood: Lara Philipps (312-592-6820 / [email protected])
The Illinois House of Representatives passed a comprehensive sexual health education bill (HB 2675) today in a vote of 66 to 52.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois (ACLU-IL), Planned Parenthood of Illinois, and the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) played a major role in moving this legislation forward, which was sponsored by Rep. Camille Lilly (D-Chicago).
“This is a good day for young people in the state,” said Khadine Bennett, legislative counsel for ACLU-IL. “Thanks to Rep. Lilly’s leadership, public school students in grades six to 12 are one step closer to receiving age-appropriate sexual health education.”
“The General Assembly moved closer to providing students in Illinois access to information to make responsible decisions about their sexual health,” said Ramon Gardenhire, director of government relations for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC). “We are tremendously grateful to Rep. Lilly for the leadership she displayed on getting this bill passed through the House.”
“The goal of any top quality sexual health education program should be to help young people make responsible, healthy decisions,” said Carole Brite, Planned Parenthood of Illinois President and CEO. “Today we are pleased that sixty-six members of the Illinois House voted to ensure that teens in Illinois have access to medically accurate, age appropriate, comprehensive sex education. Studies show that sex education that covers contraception and disease prevention results in teens who are more likely to delay sexual activity and use protection when sexual activity does occur. This bill is a huge step forward in advancing the health and safety of young people in Illinois—while they are teenagers and throughout their adult lives—and we look forward to thoughtful consideration by the Illinois Senate.”
“As the discussion on the House floor made clear, it was time for us to modernize the basic curricula in Illinois for teaching sexual health education,” said Rep. Lilly. “If this measure becomes law, public school curricula will provide young people with tools and information necessary to grow and mature in a safe and healthy fashion. I am so proud to have been part of this effort.”
Next, the bill heads to the Senate, where it will be sponsored by Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago). A nearly identical measure passed the Senate in 2011 but was never called for a vote in the House.
HB 2675 creates a standard for existing sexual health education courses in grades six through 12; provides medically accurate, age-appropriate, complete information on reducing sexually transmitted diseases and infections, as well as unintended pregnancies; ensures that local school districts can choose curricula that meet their community’s standards; and allows for parents to remove their children from sexual health education courses for any reason without penalty to their child.
“We urge the Senate to act as soon as possible to move this important measure forward,” Bennett said.
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The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois is a non-partisan, non-profit, membership organization dedicated to protecting and extending freedom, liberty and equality to all in the United States.
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Founded in 1985 by community activists and physicians, the AIDS Foundation of Chicago is a catalyst for local, national, and international action against HIV/AIDS.
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Planned Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL) provides affordably-priced, high-quality reproductive health care services to women and families throughout Illinois. Through health care services, educational programs and advocacy efforts, PPIL works to ensure and protect the reproductive rights of each individual. For more information, visit www.ppil.org.
The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) applauds President Barack Obama’s 2014 fiscal year budget proposal, which preserves federal funding for essential AIDS-related care, prevention and housing services and dismantles the harmful discretionary funding cuts known as “sequestration.”
“Under sequestration, low-income Americans will experience devastating cuts in health and safety-net services needed for basic survival,” said David Ernesto Munar, AFC President/CEO.
“We applaud the President’s plan to repeal and replace sequestration with manageable budget control provisions,” Munar continued. “If allowed to move forward, sequestration will pit essential AIDS programs against other vital programs and services for a significantly smaller amount of federal funds. The impact on the nation’s overall budget would be marginal – but have no doubt, the consequences for low-income Americans would be exceedingly harsh.”
“We thank President Obama for continuing to recognize the importance of the Ryan White Program by providing level funding for most of the program, and a $20 million increase for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program and HIV clinics,” said John Peller, Vice President of Policy.
“The Affordable Care Act will meet the basic HIV health care needs of people with HIV beginning in 2014. And the Ryan White Program will continue to play a central role by completing ACA coverage with vital services such as housing, food and nutrition, legal services, and case management for highly vulnerable people with HIV.”
There is substantial evidence that people with HIV who receive complete coverage in addition to medical care and medications are better able to adhere to medical treatment. Improved adherence improves health outcomes, lowers medical costs, and reduces the risk that people with HIV will transmit the virus to their partners.
Details of the President budget plan include:
• Sustained funding levels for Ryan White HIV/AIDS services, including a $10 million proposed funding increase for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program and a $10 million proposed increase for HIV/AIDS clinics funded through Part C of the Ryan White Program
• Sustained funding levels for HIV/AIDS prevention services at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with a $14 million proposed increase
• Sustained funding levels for the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA) program, and a modernized funding formula that would better reflect the current housing needs of people with HIV
• Increased HIV-related funding for the National Institutes of Health and Veterans Administration
The Republican-led House passed a budget plan earlier this year that would drastically reduce HIV and other safety-net services beginning as early as 2014. As the House begins review of the President’s requested appropriations, members are likely to call for radically lower funding levels than those sought by the President.
Stay tuned for more information on the federal budget, including ways you can advocate for adequate and appropriate funding for these and other vital services our communities need.
A bill for comprehensive sexual health education in Illinois (HB 2675) moved out of House Human Services committee on March 13 by a vote of 9-6 and awaits a full House vote.
The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) is part of a statewide partnership that has been advocating heavily for this legislation for four years.
“We’ve lobbied on it, engaged lawmakers, written articles, held town-hall meetings, and published op-ed articles to gain support for this important piece of legislation,” said Ramon Gardenhire, Director of Government Relations at AFC.
HB 2675 aims to modernize Illinois’ sex education law and create a standard for existing sexual health education courses and would require existing sex education programs to teach complete, medically accurate, and developmentally and age-appropriate content. The bill would require school districts that choose to teach sex education to include instruction about abstinence and contraception, as a means of preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV/AIDS.
The bill, if enacted, wouldn’t require every school or classroom to teach sex education; it would require those that do to adopt a comprehensive approach. HB 2675 ensures more uniformity in what is being taught across the state, by codifying that educators use medically accurate, age appropriate, complete information.
Currently, sex education is not required in Illinois. But school districts that include it in their curricula must teach abstinence. Individual school boards can decide to incorporate lessons on birth control and contraception—but they don’t have to. “This approach might encourage young people to refrain from having sex until marriage, but it’s inadequate,” said Evany Turk, an advocate for the Illinois Alliance for Sound AIDS Policy.
“Abstinence hasn’t worked because there are a lot of high school students who are pregnant,” Turk said. “A lot of high school students are still contracting STDs and STIs [sexually transmitted infections], and the numbers show that these diseases are on the rise, which proves abstinence-only education does not work.”
She also noted that HIV has increased recently among people 16 to 24.
Backers of the House bill, sponsored by Rep. Camille Y. Lilly (D-Chicago) with 20 co-sponsors, hope to reverse these trends.
“Opponents are operating on misinformation,” Gardenhire said. “Some people believe that we want to teach kindergarteners and third graders about condoms. That simply is not true. This bill only pertains to children in grades six through 12. It’s also age-appropriate, meaning that information given to 12th graders won’t be the same as that given to sixth graders.”
Moreover, the legislation has room for parents to remove their child from sex education courses for any reason without penalty.
Another concern opponents to the bill argue is that teaching young people about contraception will encourage sex; however according to a Kaiser Family Foundation study, Illinois has the 25th highest pregnancy rate in the U.S. for teens ages 15 to 19, suggesting that abstinence falls short of this objective.
Gardenhire adds, “Students in grades 6-12 need information and education to make healthy and responsible decisions about all aspects of their sexual health. This education empowers teens with the best prevention tools.”
Moreover, comprehensive sex education “does not encourage people to have sex. Comprehensive sex ed may help adolescents make a better-informed decision,” Turks said.
HB 2675 has the ability to empower young people with resources, but the bill is looking for more support.
HB 2675 needs 60 votes to get out of the House before it is sent to the democrat-controlled Senate, which passed this exact bill last year. With a handful of new legislators in office this year, things are already looking up for HB 2675.
“We’ve been advocating for this legislation for the past four years,” Gardenhire said. “This has been a major priority for us, and we’re happy to see it gather steam like this in the House.”
Take action by signing this petition and encouraging lawmakers in the House to continue to support this important bill. Emailed signed petitions to Lucy Baglin, AFC’s Policy Coordinator, who will forward them en masse to Springfield.
The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) submitted on March 27, 2013 comments to the Illinois Department of Insurance (DOI) on the standards insurance plans must meet to be included on the Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace.
The marketplace (also known as the exchange) will be an interactive website that will allow individuals and small businesses to purchase more affordable private health insurance. The marketplace was established by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the national health care reform law.
AFC raised several specific issues:
- DOI should not allow plans to charge unreasonably high cost-sharing for HIV medications.
- DOI should clarify how health insurance plans should submit data about coverage of combination HIV medications. DOI’s proposals would allow plans to include combination medications under several categories, making it difficult for DOI to determine if coverage is sufficient to meet the needs of people with HIV.
- DOI should make sure plans include robust networks of safety-net providers, including agencies funded by the Ryan White Program. One proposed standard, which AFC deems unacceptable and urged DOI to delete, would allow plans to include less than 20% of safety-net providers in an area. Under this unacceptable standard, plans would not be required to offer contacts to any Ryan White Program providers.
DOI is expected to release final guidelines on Monday, April 1. Insurance companies must submit proposed plans by April 30.
Read AFC’s full comments (PDF)
Read the draft DOI standards (PDF)
HIV/AIDS advocates from across the United States gathered in Washington D.C. this past February to partake in AIDSWatch 2013, the nation’s largest annual constituent-based federal advocacy event. Thanks to the Treatment Access Expansion Project and AIDS United, it was an invigorating two days. In total there were 200 legislative meetings and 170 attendees!
The AIDS Foundation of Chicago sponsored nine advocates to represent the state. Illinois held 11 successful meetings, featuring Sen. Durbin and Sen. Kirk, as well as Congressional Freshman: Rep. Davis, Rep. Foster, Rep. Duckworth and Rep. Enyart.
It was an exciting time to be on Capitol Hill, but it was an incredible time for HIV/AIDS advocates to improve the health and lives of people living with HIV and to reduce new infections. The passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the adoption of the National HIV/AIDS strategy in 2010 marked significant milestones in changing the course of this epidemic. The mission of AIDS Watch 2013 was to educate members of congress and ask them to support three important HIV/AIDS issues this congressional session: 1) Protect, fund and support effective implementation of the ACA; 2) support the vital role of the Ryan White Program and other HIV/AIDS services; 3) and support science over politics.
Alongside legislative issues, Illinois delegates shared personal stories to pack an even greater congressional punch. When advocating to protect HIV services, a constituent from Decatur, Ill., bravely told her U.S. Congressman how Ryan White Programs saved her life. She would not be sitting in his office right now without such a vital network of care, she said, and protecting these funds was critical for her and hundreds of thousands of others living with HIV/AIDS.
AIDSWatch 2013 brought together a united front of HIV/AIDS advocates in a time of great hope for the epidemic. First year AIDSWatch participant Chris Wade from Illinois concluded, “To be a part of a national event was inspiring, and the sense of camaraderie among people living with HIV/AIDS was enlightening!”
You can see more pictures of the AIDSWatch 2013 event on AIDS United’s Facebook page.
Leaders from Illinois Department of Public Health on March 11, 2013 provided an update on proposed FY 14 state funding for IDPH and the funding outlook for HIV programs.
Overall, the news was mixed. While state general revenue funding for HIV programs has declined significantly over the past three years, IDPH has obtained new sources of state funding, such as the Quality of Life Lottery and African American HIV/AIDS Response Fund, that have somewhat blunted the impact of other reductions. In addition, Illinois has received increased federal funding that has also helped to reduce the strain on the state budget, but this new funding has not been a fully replaced state budget cuts.
In response to the state budget proposal that reduces HIV funding by $4.3 million, AFC urged lawmakers to retain funding in the budget and pass SB 26.
IDPH budget overview by Gary Robinson
HIV Section budget overview by Dr. Mildred Williamson (PDF)
Passage of HB 61 will encourage HIV testing among teens at risk of HIV
ALCC media contact: Ricardo Cifuentes 312 427 8990
[email protected]
AFC media contact: Ramon Gardenhire, 301-379-3024
[email protected]
The effort to repeal Illinois’s outdated HIV principal reporting law took a major step forward this afternoon when the Illinois House of Representatives voted 61-55-1 in support of Representative La Shawn Ford’s HB 61, which repeals the principal notification sections of Illinois’ Sexually Transmissible Disease Control Act. The bill next moves to the Senate.
“Rep. Ford has sponsored this bill for the past five years, and his leadership and persistence have finally paid off,” said Ann Fisher, executive director of AIDS Legal Council of Chicago (ALCC). “AIDS Legal Council of Chicago and AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) are grateful for Rep. Ford’s support and thank his colleagues in the House who voted for the bill.”
Illinois is the only state with a law mandating that when a state or local health department receives a report of an HIV-positive student, that child’s school principal must be notified. The principal then has authority to share this information with the superintendent, school nurse, classroom teacher, and “other persons as may be necessary.” Recognizing the stigma involved with singling out HIV-positive students, a coalition of organizations has been working for many years to repeal this outdated, vague, and discriminatory law, with partners from the ACLU of Illinois, AIDS Foundation of Chicago, Lurie Children’s Hospital, and advocates throughout the state.
ALCC supervisory attorney, Colleen Boraca, stated, “Over twenty-five years after this law’s passage in 1987, it is well known that HIV is not transmitted through biting, sports, or other casual contact. School personnel are trained to treat all fluids with universal precautions, further making this law unnecessary.”
“Illinois has moved one step closer to parity with the other 49 states. We applaud Illinois for protecting the medical privacy of Illinois families and students affected by HIV,” said Ramon Gardenhire, AFC’s director of government relations. “We urge the Illinois Senate to take up this issue quickly and remove this barrier to HIV testing of youth.”
Ann Fisher added that adolescents have the fastest-growing rate of new HIV infections in Illinois, but many refuse testing fearing their status will become known at their school.
The bill proceeds to the Illinois Senate, where it must be called for a final vote by the end of the legislative session on May 31, 2013.
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Founded 25 years ago, AIDS Legal Council of Chicago works to preserve, promote, and protect the legal rights of men, women, children, and families in the metropolitan Chicago area impacted by HIV and AIDS. The Council provides free direct legal services to people in need, educates the public about HIV-related legal issues, and advocates for social policies that ensure fair treatment for all people affected by HIV and AIDS. http://www.aidslegal.com.
Founded in 1985 by community activists and physicians, the AIDS Foundation of Chicago is a catalyst for local, national, and international action against HIV/AIDS. http://www.aidschicago.org
State Must Reinvest Savings in HIV Prevention & Services to Link HIV-Positive People to Medical Care
SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Governor Pat Quinn released a proposed $35.6 billion state budget on March 6 that would reduce state HIV/AIDS funding by $4.27 million, or 16 percent.
“Thanks to President Obama, many people with HIV will gain new health insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act, providing partial relief to the state’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP),” said David Ernesto Munar, President/CEO of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. “Illinois has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reinvest ADAP savings to fund HIV prevention and service programs that will reduce new HIV cases and improve health outcomes.”
Under the Governor’s proposed budget, total state HIV spending would drop from $26.23 million in FY13 to $21.75 million in FY14. AFC has learned from sources at the Illinois Department of Public Health that the funding cut would come from ADAP, which provides life-saving medications to people with the disease.
State Must Reinvest Savings in HIV Prevention & Services to Link HIV-Positive People to Medical Care
SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Governor Pat Quinn released a proposed $35.6 billion state budget on March 6 that would reduce state HIV/AIDS funding by $4.27 million, or 16 percent.
“Thanks to President Obama, many people with HIV will gain new health insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act, providing partial relief to the state’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP),” said David Ernesto Munar, President/CEO of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. “Illinois has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reinvest ADAP savings to fund HIV prevention and service programs that will reduce new HIV cases and improve health outcomes.”
Under the Governor’s proposed budget, total state HIV spending would drop from $26.23 million in FY13 to $21.75 million in FY14. AFC has learned from sources at the Illinois Department of Public Health that the funding cut would come from ADAP, which provides life-saving medications to people with the disease.
If the General Assembly authorizes legislation, in 2014 many current ADAP clients will transition to Medicaid or subsidized private insurance programs available through new online insurance marketplaces, also called exchanges. This shift will reduce the need for state spending on ADAP.
“We recognize that many people with HIV will gain new health insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA), providing partial relief to the state’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program,” said Ramon Gardenhire, AFC’s director of government relations. “However to ensure no interruptions in continuity of care for patients, the General Assembly must rapidly implement the ACA. A delay could result in funding reductions to HIV prevention, housing, medical care, and supportive service initiatives.”
“HIV is a communicable disease,” continued Munar. “The scientific evidence is clear that when people with HIV receive clinical care, treatment, and other essential services, the risk for further HIV transmission is substantially decreased.”
“About half of people with HIV are not receiving medications or medical care,” continued Gardenhire. “Illinois should reinvest the savings from the ACA to connect people with HIV to medical care: culturally sensitive boots-on-the-ground outreach workers, substance abuse and mental health treatment resources, and stable housing and transportation options. Illinois should reinvest in these services since the unmet need is so great. Doing so will reduce new HIV cases and future medical spending.”
If enacted, HIV funding would be cut for the third year in a row. Since 2011, Illinois has reduced state HIV funding by $9 million, or 30 percent.
“HIV funding cuts have resulted in dramatic decreases in the availability of HIV prevention, housing and supportive services across the state,” said Gardenhire. “It’s time for Illinois to stop this trend and fund targeted investments that will help lower the burden and cost of HIV upon the state.”
To ensure that people with HIV continue to receive services, the General Assembly must immediately act to extend Medicaid coverage to all low-income people, including people with HIV.
Sponsored by State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) and Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago), Senate Bill 26, pending in the Illinois House, would authorize Illinois to take advantage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to provide Medicaid to about 342,000 low-income Illinois citizens who are currently uninsured, including thousands who are living with HIV/AIDS. Thanks to health reform, Illinois will be able to offer Medicaid to this population at no expense to the state for the first three years, and in later years the state will never pay more than 10 percent of the coverage cost.
SB 26, if approved by Illinois House, would shift costs for HIV medication from the state to the federal government, yielding savings to Illinois that could be used to strengthen HIV care and prevention efforts.
AFC, together with HIV/AIDS medical and community-based services organizations, calls on the Illinois General Assembly to reverse the proposed funding cuts and pass SB 26 to gain federal funding to provide HIV care through Medicaid.
AFC urges advocates to join us in Springfield to lobby for important HIV/AIDS issues in April and May of this year. Contact Lucy Baglin at [email protected] for more information.
Additional Information
Want to know more about what happens on lobby days? Read about advocates who defended health care reform in Illinois.
Read SB 26, leveraging Medicaid funding for the uninsured
Read the SB 26 fact sheet 
Check out the FY 14 state budget proposal
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 22, 2013
MEDIA CONTACT
Johnathon Briggs, (312) 334-0922
[email protected]
“Queen of Indie Soul” Conya Doss to perform Friday, March 8 at the House of Blues to Raise Awareness about HIV/AIDS
Benefit concert will cap two-day observance of national Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day by the AIDS Foundation of Chicago’s “Change My Story” campaign
CHICAGO – One of Chicago’s favorite soul artists, multi-award winning songstress and “Queen of Indie Soul” Conya Doss, will perform on Friday, March 8 at the House of Blues to benefit the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. Tickets available for $30 at http://conyadoss.brownpapertickets.com.
Conya released her 6th album, A Pocketful of Purpose, in 2012 and was a Female Vocalist of the Year Finalist for the SoulTracks Readers’ Choice Awards. She’s been on the move with performances and philanthropy including BET’s Rap-IT-Up Program which targets teens for HIV prevention. Now she’s coming to Chicago to make her voice heard in support of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago’s “Change My Story” campaign which encourages communities of color to change their own story – to get tested, get care and get involved.
Conya’s performance will cap a two-day observance of national Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (March 10) by AFC. HIV/AIDS remains a serious public health issue for women and girls. In 2010, they made up two-thirds of people who got the disease by having heterosexual sex. African-American women and girls continue to be disproportionately affected. Their rate of becoming infected with HIV in 2010 was 20 times that of white women and girls.
On Thursday, March 7, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., AFC will host “Change My Story: Healthy, Whole and Happy Wellness Fair” at Chicago State University (9501 S. King Drive). The free event invites women and girls from across Chicagoland to learn how to live a healthier life: mind, body and soul. (Conya will make an appearance at a 2 p.m. workshop session.)
The benefit concert will take place Friday, March 8 at 7 p.m. at the House of Blues (329 N. Dearborn Street) and also feature host Dedry Jones of The Music Experience , sounds by DJ Duane Powell and opening performances by Tovi Khali and Erthe St. James. DJ Jazzy Jeff describes Conya as “a whole lot of soul in a beautiful package…a must hear.” Don’t miss this special evening of sultry sounds!
To schedule an interview or media appearance with Conya Doss, please contact Johnathon Briggs at 312-334-0922 or at [email protected].
Founded in 1985 by community activists and physicians, the AIDS Foundation of Chicago is a catalyst for local, national, and international action against HIV/AIDS.