HIV IS NOT A CRIME AWARENESS DAY OBSERVED ON FEBRUARY 28, 2023

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF) observes today as the second annual HIV IS NOT A CRIME Awareness Day. The date is significant as it ties a symbolic bow to the closing of National Black History Month and the beginning of National Women's History Month - two demographics that are disproportionately impacted by both the HIV epidemic & HIV criminalization. This date is also a symbolic nod to the legacy of ETAF Founder, Elizabeth Taylor on the anniversary of her birthday. Elizabeth held a tireless commitment to raising awareness and fighting the stigma of HIV and AIDS globally. Today, we are honored to continue Elizabeth's legacy alongside all of our partners in HIV Is Not A Crime movement, notably The Sero Project, who piloted and established HIV Is Not A Crime Awareness Day in collaboration with ETAF.

Thanks to scientific advancements, HIV is no longer a death sentence. And with the right medications, the risk of transmitting HIV from one person to another is nearly zero. Despite this therapeutic progress, people living with HIV in 30 U.S. states are being charged and branded as criminals because of their status, even when there is no risk of HIV transmission.

According to the CDC, these laws discourage HIV testing, increase stigma, and exacerbate disparities, noting they are outdated and do not reflect the significant advances to treat and prevent HIV transmission, such as effective therapeutics that can suppress the virus to the point of it being virtually undetectable, and therefore untransmittable (U=U). After over 30 years of HIV research and significant biomedical and pharmaceutical advancements to treat and prevent HIV transmission, many state laws are now outdated and do not reflect our current understanding of HIV. In more troubling news, black Americans make up 40% of people living with HIV in the United States, and 33% of those incarcerated for HIV crimes.

United States President Joe Biden has also recognized the issue of HIV criminalization and is actively addressing the issue with The White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP). In President Biden's 2021 World AIDS Day Proclamation, he stated that, "I want make sure that everyone in the United States knows their HIV status, that everyone with HIV receives high-quality care and treatment that they deserve, and that we end the harmful stigma around HIV and AIDS. In particular, there is still a large number of states that have HIV criminalization laws that do not reflect an accurate understanding of HIV. For example — HIV cannot be transmitted through saliva. There are still laws on the books that criminalize spitting by people with HIV… we have to follow science, and that means eliminating the laws that perpetuate discrimination, exacerbate disparities, discourage HIV testing, and take us further away from our goal."

Since the beginning of ETAF's work on the HIV IS NOT A CRIME campaign, laws in six states have been updated and/or repealed. Those states are Nevada, New Jersey, Georgia, Missouri, Virginia and Illinois. The campaign continues to work hard at educating lawmakers to the outdated and unfair laws unnecessarily still on the books.

"This day serves as a reminder of the important work of our founder, Elizabeth Taylor and her tireless commitment to bring the AIDS epidemic to an end" said Cathy Brown, Executive Director of the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. "Bringing meaningful modernization to the outdated HIV laws is a major step in the fight to end criminalization."

With support from Gilead Sciences, Inc and the collaboration of the Health Not Prisons Collective, ETAF has made the HIV IS NOT A CRIME campaign its priority advocacy initiative within the organization.

To learn more about HIV IS NOT A CRIME and The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, please visit https://elizabethtayloraidsfoundation.org/

About The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF): 
Working tirelessly on the AIDS crisis throughout the 1980s, Elizabeth Taylor established The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF) in 1991 to carry out her vision for an AIDS-free world. ETAF works to provide the direct care needed for people living with and affected by HIV and AIDS. Emphasizing Elizabeth's voice, commitment and concentration on marginalized communities, ETAF in partnership with Gilead Sciences, Inc. works to modernize the criminal laws and penalties that affect people living with HIV. ETAF's programs have also expanded to ensure that HIV prevention education and access to treatment is available through domestic and international initiatives. For more information, visit ETAF.org or contact Cathy Brown, ETAF at cbrown@etaf.org. 

About Gilead Sciences, Inc:
Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a research-based biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, and commercializes innovative medicines in areas of unmet medical need. Gilead is dedicated to transforming and simplifying care for people with life-threatening illnesses around the world. We also recognize that it takes more than medicine to address challenges patients and communities face in accessing the best possible care, and we know that passion for scientific discovery alone — and that Gilead alone — cannot solve these challenges. Gilead applies the same values of partnership, integrity, and dedication to our work tackling the social and structural challenges that patients, healthcare providers and other partners must overcome to identify and elevate the best possible solutions.

Media Contact
Jeff Hare / ETAF
(818) 726-9238
jeffharela@gmail.com

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SOURCE The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation